The Application of Microbial Inoculants as a Green Tool towards Achieving Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

For decades, the surging demand for agricultural produce to alleviate hunger has spurred extensive research into novel and sustainable agricultural practices. Given the detrimental environmental impact of some contemporary agricultural methods, this paper underscores the potential of microbial inoculants as environmentally friendly tools for achieving sustainable agriculture. This narrative review evaluates the use of microbial inoculants in various agricultural practices such as monocropping, crop rotation, and intercropping, contrasts their effectiveness to synthetic agricultural compounds, and highlights potential limitations and strategies for their mitigation. The review reveals that microbial inoculants, as renewable, eco-friendly, crop-supportive, and cost-effective alternatives to synthetic agricultural compounds, hold immense promise for sustainable agriculture. The study concludes with a call for greater emphasis on the use of microbial inoculants, encouraging their broader adoption by farmers to promote sustainability in agriculture.