• Energy Research

Forest soils are a pressing subject of worldwide research owing to the several roles of forests such as carbon sinks. Currently, the living soil ecosystem has become dreadful as a consequence of several anthropogenic activities including climate change. Climate change continues to transform the living soil ecosystem as well as the soil microbiome of planet Earth. The majority of studies have aimed to decipher the role of forest soil bacteria and fungi to understand and predict the impact of climate change on soil microbiome community structure and their ecosystem in the environment. In forest soils, microorganisms live in diverse habitats with specific behavior, comprising bulk soil, rhizosphere, litter, and deadwood habitats, where their communities are influenced by biotic interactions and nutrient accessibility. Soil microbiome also drives multiple crucial steps in the nutrient biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur cycles). Soil microbes help in the nitrogen cycle through nitrogen fixation during the nitrogen cycle and maintain the concentration of nitrogen in the atmosphere. Soil microorganisms in forest soils respond to various effects of climate change, for instance, global warming, elevated level of CO2, drought, anthropogenic nitrogen deposition, increased precipitation, and flood. As the major burning issue of the globe, researchers are facing the major challenges to study soil microbiome. This review sheds light on the current scenario of knowledge about the effect of climate change on living soil ecosystems in various climate-sensitive soil ecosystems and the consequences for vegetation-soil-climate feedbacks.

Forest soils are a pressing subject of worldwide research owing to the several roles of forests such as carbon sinks. Currently, the living soil ecosystem has become dreadful as a consequence of several anthropogenic activities including climate change. Climate change continues to transform the living soil ecosystem as well as the soil microbiome of planet Earth. The majority of studies have aimed to decipher the role of forest soil bacteria and fungi to understand and predict the impact of climate change on soil microbiome community structure and their ecosystem in the environment. In forest soils, microorganisms live in diverse habitats with specific behavior, comprising bulk soil, rhizosphere, litter, and deadwood habitats, where their communities are influenced by biotic interactions and nutrient accessibility. Soil microbiome also drives multiple crucial steps in the nutrient biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur cycles). Soil microbes help in the nitrogen cycle through nitrogen fixation during the nitrogen cycle and maintain the concentration of nitrogen in the atmosphere. Soil microorganisms in forest soils respond to various effects of climate change, for instance, global warming, elevated level of CO2, drought, anthropogenic nitrogen deposition, increased precipitation, and flood. As the major burning issue of the globe, researchers are facing the major challenges to study soil microbiome. This review sheds light on the current scenario of knowledge about the effect of climate change on living soil ecosystems in various climate-sensitive soil ecosystems and the consequences for vegetation-soil-climate feedbacks.

Soil is a crucial component for plant growth, as it provides water, nutrients, and mechanical support. Various factors, such as crop cultivation, microflora, nutrient addition, and water availability, significantly affect soil properties. Maintaining soil health is important, and one approach is the introduction of native organisms with multifaceted activities. The study evaluates the effects of introducing these microbes (Trichoderma asperellum strain TAIK1, Bacillus cabrialesii strain BIK3, Pseudomonas putida strain PIK1, and Pseudomonas otitidis strain POPS1) and their consortium, a combination of four bioagents, on soil health, plant growth, and the incidence of stem rot disease caused by Sclerotium oryzae in rice. Upon treatment of soil with the consortium of the four native bioagents mentioned above through seed treatment or soil application, variations/increases in the chemical properties of the soil were observed, viz., pH (8.08 to 8.28), electrical conductivity (EC) (0.72 to 0.75 d S m−1), organic carbon (OC) (0.57 to 0.68 %), available soil nitrogen (SN) (155 to 315 kg/ha), soil phosphorus (SP) (7.87 to 24.91 kg/ha), soil potassium (SK) (121.29 to 249.42 kg/ha), and soil enzymes (urease (0.73 to 7.33 µg urea hydrolyzed g−1 soil h−1), acid and alkaline phosphatase (0.09 to 1.39 and 0.90 to 1.78 µg of p-nitrophenol released g−1 soil h−1), and dehydrogenase (0.14 to 16.44 mg triphenyl formazan (TPF) produced g−1 soil h−1)), compared to untreated soil. Treatment of seeds with the consortium of four native bioagents resulted in a significant increase in plant height (39.16%), the number of panicles (30.29%), and average grain yield (41.36%) over control plants. Under controlled conditions, the bioagent-treated plants showed a 69.37% reduction in stem rot disease. The findings of this study indicate a positive correlation between soil properties (pH, EC, OC, SN, SP, SK, and soil enzymes) and plant growth (shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight) as well as a highly negative association of soil properties with stem rot disease severity. The results suggest that using native bioagents as a management strategy can control stem rot disease and enhance crop productivity, while reducing reliance on chemical management. These findings provide valuable insights into the development of sustainable agricultural practices that maximize productivity by minimizing negative environmental impacts, which promotes soil health, plant growth, and disease management.

Soil is a crucial component for plant growth, as it provides water, nutrients, and mechanical support. Various factors, such as crop cultivation, microflora, nutrient addition, and water availability, significantly affect soil properties. Maintaining soil health is important, and one approach is the introduction of native organisms with multifaceted activities. The study evaluates the effects of introducing these microbes (Trichoderma asperellum strain TAIK1, Bacillus cabrialesii strain BIK3, Pseudomonas putida strain PIK1, and Pseudomonas otitidis strain POPS1) and their consortium, a combination of four bioagents, on soil health, plant growth, and the incidence of stem rot disease caused by Sclerotium oryzae in rice. Upon treatment of soil with the consortium of the four native bioagents mentioned above through seed treatment or soil application, variations/increases in the chemical properties of the soil were observed, viz., pH (8.08 to 8.28), electrical conductivity (EC) (0.72 to 0.75 d S m−1), organic carbon (OC) (0.57 to 0.68 %), available soil nitrogen (SN) (155 to 315 kg/ha), soil phosphorus (SP) (7.87 to 24.91 kg/ha), soil potassium (SK) (121.29 to 249.42 kg/ha), and soil enzymes (urease (0.73 to 7.33 µg urea hydrolyzed g−1 soil h−1), acid and alkaline phosphatase (0.09 to 1.39 and 0.90 to 1.78 µg of p-nitrophenol released g−1 soil h−1), and dehydrogenase (0.14 to 16.44 mg triphenyl formazan (TPF) produced g−1 soil h−1)), compared to untreated soil. Treatment of seeds with the consortium of four native bioagents resulted in a significant increase in plant height (39.16%), the number of panicles (30.29%), and average grain yield (41.36%) over control plants. Under controlled conditions, the bioagent-treated plants showed a 69.37% reduction in stem rot disease. The findings of this study indicate a positive correlation between soil properties (pH, EC, OC, SN, SP, SK, and soil enzymes) and plant growth (shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight) as well as a highly negative association of soil properties with stem rot disease severity. The results suggest that using native bioagents as a management strategy can control stem rot disease and enhance crop productivity, while reducing reliance on chemical management. These findings provide valuable insights into the development of sustainable agricultural practices that maximize productivity by minimizing negative environmental impacts, which promotes soil health, plant growth, and disease management.