Microbial mediation of nutrient cycling: Nitrogen, phosphorus, and micronutrients

Abstract:

Microbial mediation is an essential part of the nutrient cycling in the soil and water ecosystem, and it has a direct effect on the soil fertility, plant productivity, and sustainability of ecosystems. The bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and archaea are important in the transformation and mobilization of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and micronutrients (e.g., iron, zinc, and manganese) to be absorbed by plants. Nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification are among the processes involved in the nitrogen cycle, and they are regulated by specialized microbial communities that maintain the balance of different forms of nitrogen. On the same note, phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) increase phosphorus availability by releasing organic acids and enzymes through which organic acids solubilize insoluble phosphates. In addition, microbes play a role in the release of micronutrients by siderophore release, redox reaction, and chelation processes, and enhance the nutrition and health of plants and soil. Such microbial processes not only maintain a nutrient turnover, but also reduce losses of nutrients and environmental pollution. Knowledge of microbial-based nutrient changes can give prospects to come up with biofertilizers and sustainable nutrient management strategies that can lessen reliance on chemical fertilizers. The paper identifies the process, ecological roles, and uses of microbial mediation in the cycling of nitrogen, phosphorus, and the micronutrients, with a focus on their role in sustainable agriculture and protection of the environment.