Microbial Biotechnology for Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Remediation: A Review
TL;DR
The roles of bacteria, fungi, archaea, algae and cyanobacteria in nutrient cycling, soil fertility improvement, plant growth promotion, biological nitrogen fixation, disease suppression and pollutant degradation are examined.
Abstract
Microbial biotechnology provides sustainable approaches for improving agricultural productivity and supporting environmental remediation through the use of beneficial microorganisms and their metabolic functions. This review examines the roles of bacteria, fungi, archaea, algae and cyanobacteria in nutrient cycling, soil fertility improvement, plant growth promotion, biological nitrogen fixation, disease suppression and pollutant degradation. Microbial applications in agriculture include biofertilisers, plant growth-promoting microorganisms, biocontrol agents and stress-mitigation strategies that can reduce dependence on chemical inputs while supporting soil health and crop performance. In environmental management, microorganisms contribute to the biodegradation of organic pollutants, detoxification of pesticides and agrochemicals, heavy metal immobilisation or removal, wastewater treatment and plant-assisted remediation of contaminated ecosystems. The review also considers emerging technologies, including metagenomics, multi-omics approaches, synthetic biology, genome editing, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, microbial consortia and microbiome engineering, which are improving the identification, characterisation and optimisation of microbial functions for targeted applications. These tools are increasingly relevant for precision agriculture, climate-smart farming and sustainable remediation because they allow microbial communities and functional traits to be assessed with greater resolution across diverse management contexts. Although these developments have expanded the practical scope of microbial biotechnology, several constraints continue to limit field-level adoption, including variable performance under natural conditions, ecological and biosafety concerns, regulatory complexity, product quality issues, economic barriers and limited stakeholder awareness. Overall, the manuscript highlights the relevance of microbial biotechnology for sustainable agriculture and environmental restoration while emphasising the need for interdisciplinary research, responsible implementation, supportive policies and improved translation of laboratory findings into reliable field applications.