{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T23:52:31Z","timestamp":1790985151213,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":77,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783555200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Sustaining maize\u2013cereal production under intensive agricultural systems is becoming increasingly challenging because of declining soil quality, low nutrient-use efficiency, and escalating abiotic and biotic stresses. In many regions, long-term rice\u2013wheat cultivation has intensified these constraints, prompting greater interest in diversified production systems such as maize\u2013wheat rotations. Within this context, bio-organic fertilizers (BOF) and microbial biostimulants are increasingly recognized not merely as nutrient inputs but as biologically active regulators of plant\u2013soil interactions. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the role of BOF in maize\u2013cereal production systems, with particular emphasis on maize\u2013wheat rotations. It examines their effects on crop productivity, soil health, nutrient dynamics, and resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. Current evidence indicates that BOF and microbial biostimulants improve crop performance through interconnected mechanisms, including nutrient mobilization, root development, rhizosphere regulation, and microbial-mediated soil processes. Collectively, these mechanisms enhance nutrient-use efficiency, strengthen stress tolerance, and contribute to more stable crop yields. Importantly, the benefits of BOF extend beyond single growing seasons by promoting soil biological activity, nutrient availability, and system resilience across successive crop cycles. Overall, BOF should be regarded not simply as alternatives to mineral fertilizers but as multifunctional regulators of plant\u2013soil processes that support the sustainability of maize\u2013wheat and other cereal-based cropping systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants15142120","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T11:55:32Z","timestamp":1783598132000},"page":"2120","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Bio-Organic Fertilizers and Microbial Biostimulants in Maize\u2013Cereal Cropping Systems"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-9141-8772","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gurwinder","family":"Singh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda 151302, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6740-5879","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Baljinder","family":"Singh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda 151302, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8739-3596","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Munish","family":"Sharma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Agricultural Sciences, Baddi University of Emerging Sciences and Technology, Solan 173205, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4362-5863","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ankit","family":"Saini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agronomy, Dr Khem Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib 173101, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5882-0533","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mehmet Ramazan","family":"Ri\u015fvanl\u0131","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Van Y\u00fcz\u00fcnc\u00fc Y\u0131l University, 65090 Van, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3195-0749","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"G\u00f6khan","family":"Boyno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Van Y\u00fcz\u00fcnc\u00fc Y\u0131l University, 65090 Van, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1060-0264","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Younes","family":"Rezaee Danesh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Van Y\u00fcz\u00fcnc\u00fc Y\u0131l University, 65090 Van, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8068-741X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rosa","family":"Porcel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Biolog\u00eda Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas, 46022 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9087-3838","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 M.","family":"Mulet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Biolog\u00eda Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas, 46022 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1036","DOI":"10.1007\/s10646-025-02892-x","article-title":"Interactive impacts of heat stress and microplastics contamination on the growth and biochemical response of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and maize (Zea mays) plants","volume":"34","author":"Sajjad","year":"2025","journal-title":"Ecotoxicology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1007\/s11104-025-07789-6","article-title":"Approaches to studying wheat and maize drought stress responses","volume":"516","author":"Gergely","year":"2025","journal-title":"Plant Soil"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bargaz, A., Lyamlouli, K., Chtouki, M., Zeroual, Y., and Dhiba, D. (2018). Soil microbial resources for improving fertilizers efficiency in an integrated plant nutrient management system. Front. Microbiol., 9.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2018.01606"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107177","DOI":"10.1016\/j.agwat.2021.107177","article-title":"Sustainable high grain yield, nitrogen use efficiency and water productivity can be achieved in wheat-maize rotation system by changing irrigation and fertilization strategy","volume":"258","author":"Lu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Agric. Water Manag."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tang, Y., Nian, L., Zhao, X., Li, J., Wang, Z., and Dong, L. (2025). Bio-organic fertilizer application enhances silage maize yield by regulating soil physicochemical and microbial properties. Microorganisms, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms13050959"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Garc\u00eda-Garc\u00eda, A.L., Garc\u00eda-Machado, F.J., Borges, A.A., Morales-Sierra, S., Boto, A., and Jim\u00e9nez-Arias, D. (2020). Pure organic active compounds against abiotic stress: A biostimulant overview. Front. Plant Sci., 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2020.575829"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Giordano, M., Petropoulos, S.A., and Rouphael, Y. (2021). Response and defence mechanisms of vegetable crops against drought, heat and salinity stress. Agriculture, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/agriculture11050463"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ansabayeva, A., Makhambetov, M., Rebouh, N.Y., Abdelkader, M., Saudy, H.S., Hassan, K.M., Nasser, M.A., Ali, M.A.A., and Ebrahim, M. (2025). Plant growth-promoting microbes for resilient farming systems: Mitigating environmental stressors and boosting crops productivity\u2014A review. Horticulturae, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/horticulturae11030260"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.69721\/TPS.J.2025.17.1.11","article-title":"Dynamic interplay of plants, microorganisms, and arthropods: Exploring ecosystem","volume":"17","year":"2025","journal-title":"Palawan Sci."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115010","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-9326\/9\/11\/115010","article-title":"Maintaining yields and reducing nitrogen loss in rice-wheat rotation system in Taihu Lake region with proper fertilizer management","volume":"9","author":"Xue","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environ. Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107724","DOI":"10.1016\/j.agee.2021.107724","article-title":"Optimizing N fertilizer rates sustained rice yields, improved N use efficiency, and decreased N losses via runoff from rice-wheat cropping systems","volume":"324","author":"Qiao","year":"2022","journal-title":"Agric. Ecosyst. Environ."},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"e01118","article-title":"Cropping systems in agriculture and their impact on soil health\u2014A review","volume":"23","author":"Yang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Glob. Ecol. Conserv."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"753","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecolind.2015.10.026","article-title":"Energy budgeting and emergy synthesis of rainfed maize\u2013wheat rotation system with different soil amendment applications","volume":"61","author":"Singh","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ecol. Indic."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102570","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jksus.2023.102570","article-title":"Organic fertilizer sources improve the yield and quality attributes of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids by improving soil properties and nutrient uptake under drought stress","volume":"35","author":"Shah","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. King Saud Univ. Sci."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fcr.2017.03.011","article-title":"Yield, phosphorus use efficiency and balance response to substituting long-term chemical fertilizer use with organic manure in a wheat-maize system","volume":"208","author":"Xin","year":"2017","journal-title":"Field Crops Res."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ali, A., Liu, X., Yang, W., Li, W., Chen, J., Qiao, Y., Gao, Z., and Yang, Z. (2024). Impact of bio-organic fertilizer incorporation on soil nutrients, enzymatic activity, and microbial community in wheat\u2013maize rotation system. Agronomy, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/agronomy14091942"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"568","DOI":"10.3923\/jbs.2005.568.574","article-title":"Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and humic acid on the seedling development and nutrient content of pepper grown under saline soil conditions","volume":"5","author":"Demir","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Biol. Sci."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scienta.2015.09.021","article-title":"Plant biostimulants: Definition, concept, main categories and regulation","volume":"196","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sci. Hortic."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Basu, A., Prasad, P., Das, S.N., Kalam, S., Sayyed, R., Reddy, M., and El Enshasy, H. (2021). Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as green bioinoculants: Recent developments, constraints, and prospects. Sustainability, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/su13031140"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pirttil\u00e4, A.M., Mohammad Parast Tabas, H., Baruah, N., and Koskim\u00e4ki, J.J. (2021). Biofertilizers and biocontrol agents for agriculture: How to identify and develop new potent microbial strains and traits. Microorganisms, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms9040817"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Franzoni, G., Cocetta, G., Prinsi, B., Ferrante, A., and Espen, L. (2022). Biostimulants on crops: Their impact under abiotic stress conditions. Horticulturae, 8.","DOI":"10.3390\/horticulturae8030189"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Danesh, Y.R., Pellegrini, M., Akk\u00f6pr\u00fc, A., Farda, B., Boyno, G., and Djebaili, R. (2024). Plant growth\u2013promoting rhizobacteria: Their potential as biological control agents in sustainable agriculture. Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Elsevier.","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-443-19150-3.00015-1"},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"Beycio\u011flu, T. (2024). Biyotik ve Abiyotik Stres Alt\u0131ndaki Bitkilerde Biyostim\u00fclantlar\u0131n Kullan\u0131labilirli\u011fi. Ziraat, Orman ve Su \u00dcr\u00fcnleri Alan\u0131nda Akademik \u00c7al\u0131\u015fmalar VII, IKSAD Publishing House."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Li, S., Fan, W., Xu, G., Cao, Y., Zhao, X., Hao, S., Deng, B., Ren, S., and Hu, S. (2023). Bio-organic fertilizers improve Dendrocalamus farinosus growth by remolding the soil microbiome and metabolome. Front. Microbiol., 14.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2023.1117355"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5109","DOI":"10.1007\/s42729-023-01195-6","article-title":"Effects of bio-organic fertilizer on soil fertility, yield, and quality of tea","volume":"23","author":"Liu","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108301","DOI":"10.1016\/j.agee.2022.108301","article-title":"Key soil properties influencing infiltration capacity after long-term straw incorporation in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)\u2013maize (Zea mays L.) rotation system","volume":"344","author":"Zhang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Agric. Ecosyst. Environ."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Backer, R., Rokem, J.S., Ilangumaran, G., Lamont, J., Praslickova, D., Ricci, E., Subramanian, S., and Smith, D.L. (2018). Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria: Context, mechanisms of action, and roadmap to commercialization of biostimulants for sustainable agriculture. Front. Plant Sci., 9.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2018.01473"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Castiglione, A.M., Mannino, G., Contartese, V., Bertea, C.M., and Ertani, A. (2021). Microbial biostimulants as response to modern agriculture needs: Composition, role and application of these innovative products. Plants, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/plants10081533"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vejan, P., Abdullah, R., Khadiran, T., Ismail, S., and Nasrulhaq Boyce, A. (2016). Role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in agricultural sustainability\u2014A review. Molecules, 21.","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules21050573"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aasfar, A., Bargaz, A., Yaakoubi, K., Hilali, A., Bennis, I., Zeroual, Y., and Meftah Kadmiri, I. (2021). Nitrogen fixing Azotobacter species as potential soil biological enhancers for crop nutrition and yield stability. Front. Microbiol., 12.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2021.628379"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Daniel, A.I., Fadaka, A.O., Gokul, A., Bakare, O.O., Aina, O., Fisher, S., Burt, A.F., Mavumengwana, V., Keyster, M., and Klein, A. (2022). Biofertilizer: The future of food security and food safety. Microorganisms, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms10061220"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100284","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rhisph.2020.100284","article-title":"Efficacy of phosphate solubilizing Actinobacteria to improve rock phosphate agronomic effectiveness and plant growth promotion","volume":"17","author":"Soumare","year":"2021","journal-title":"Rhizosphere"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fasusi, O.A., Cruz, C., and Babalola, O.O. (2021). Agricultural sustainability: Microbial biofertilizers in rhizosphere management. Agriculture, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/agriculture11020163"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kumawat, N., Kumar, R., Khandkar, U., Yadav, R., Saurabh, K., Mishra, J., Dotaniya, M.L., and Hans, H. (2019). Silicon (Si)- and zinc (Zn)-solubilizing microorganisms: Role in sustainable agriculture. Biofertilizers for Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-18933-4_6"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sehrawat, A., and Sindhu, S.S. (2024). Zinc-solubilizing microorganisms: Contributions in nutrient availability and implications for crop productivity in sustainable agriculture. Plant Holobiome Engineering for Climate-Smart Agriculture, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-99-9388-8_11"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"541","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.micro.62.081307.162918","article-title":"Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria","volume":"63","author":"Lugtenberg","year":"2009","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"963401","DOI":"10.6064\/2012\/963401","article-title":"Plant growth-promoting bacteria: Mechanisms and applications","volume":"2012","author":"Glick","year":"2012","journal-title":"Scientifica"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1042","DOI":"10.3390\/applmicrobiol4030071","article-title":"Isolation of diverse phosphate- and zinc-solubilizing microorganisms from different environments","volume":"4","author":"Afkairin","year":"2024","journal-title":"Appl. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2140","DOI":"10.1111\/jipb.13755","article-title":"The combination of a microbial and a non-microbial biostimulant increases yield in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) under salt stress conditions by up-regulating cytokinin biosynthesis","volume":"66","author":"Benito","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Integr. Plant Biol."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"117","DOI":"10.1186\/s40538-025-00825-8","article-title":"The combined effect of a newly designed biostimulant and a plant growth-promoting bacterium increases tomato yield under salt stress by increasing the cytokinin isopentenyladenine riboside content","volume":"12","author":"Benito","year":"2025","journal-title":"Chem. Biol. Technol. Agric."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Etesami, H., Jeong, B.R., and Glick, B.R. (2021). Contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, phosphate\u2013solubilizing bacteria, and silicon to P uptake by plant. Front. Plant Sci., 12.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2021.699618"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5823","DOI":"10.1038\/srep05823","article-title":"Direct and indirect effects of glomalin, mycorrhizal hyphae and roots on aggregate stability in rhizosphere of trifoliate orange","volume":"4","author":"Wu","year":"2014","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Begum, N., Qin, C., Ahanger, M.A., Raza, S., Khan, M.I., Ashraf, M., Ahmed, N., and Zhang, L. (2019). Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in plant growth regulation: Implications in abiotic stress tolerance. Front. Plant Sci., 10.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2019.01068"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sagar, A., Rathore, P., Ramteke, P.W., Ramakrishna, W., Reddy, M.S., and Pecoraro, L. (2021). Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their synergistic interactions to counteract the negative effects of saline soil on agriculture: Key macromolecules and mechanisms. Microorganisms, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms9071491"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Demir, S., Durak, E.D., G\u00fcne\u015f, H., Boyno, G., Mulet, J.M., Rezaee Danesh, Y., and Porcel, R. (2023). Biological control of three fungal diseases in strawberry (Fragaria \u00d7 ananassa) with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Agronomy, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/agronomy13092439"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"156","DOI":"10.1016\/j.geoderma.2018.01.010","article-title":"Distinct responses of soil bacterial and fungal communities to changes in fertilization regime and crop rotation","volume":"319","author":"Ai","year":"2018","journal-title":"Geoderma"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"136","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apsoil.2019.04.014","article-title":"Reshaping the rhizosphere microbiome by bio-organic amendment to enhance crop yield in a maize-cabbage rotation system","volume":"142","author":"Qiao","year":"2019","journal-title":"Appl. Soil Ecol."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1007\/s10725-020-00571-x","article-title":"Crosstalk amongst phytohormones from planta and PGPR under biotic and abiotic stresses","volume":"90","author":"Khan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Plant Growth Regul."},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100071","DOI":"10.1016\/j.soisec.2022.100071","article-title":"Soil health and its relationship with food security and human health to meet the sustainable development goals in India","volume":"8","author":"Das","year":"2022","journal-title":"Soil Secur."},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"828","DOI":"10.1002\/jobm.202000370","article-title":"PGPR-mediated induction of systemic resistance and physiochemical alterations in plants against the pathogens: Current perspectives","volume":"60","author":"Meena","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Basic Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Patkowska, E. (2021). Biostimulants managed fungal phytopathogens and enhanced activity of beneficial microorganisms in rhizosphere of Scorzonera (Scorzonera hispanica L.). Agriculture, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/agriculture11040347"},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1186\/1475-2859-13-66","article-title":"Biofertilizers function as key player in sustainable agriculture by improving soil fertility, plant tolerance and crop productivity","volume":"13","author":"Bhardwaj","year":"2014","journal-title":"Microb. Cell Fact."},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"403","DOI":"10.1007\/s00374-015-0996-1","article-title":"Microbial interactions in the rhizosphere: Beneficial influences of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on nutrient acquisition process. A Review","volume":"51","author":"Pii","year":"2015","journal-title":"Biol. Fertil. Soils"},{"key":"ref_54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4917256","DOI":"10.1155\/2019\/4917256","article-title":"Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms: Promising approach as biofertilizers","volume":"2019","author":"Kalayu","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Agron."},{"key":"ref_55","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3984","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-015-4294-0","article-title":"Microbial siderophores and their potential applications: A review","volume":"23","author":"Saha","year":"2016","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res."},{"key":"ref_56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vacheron, J., Desbrosses, G., Bouffaud, M.-L., Touraine, B., Mo\u00ebnne-Loccoz, Y., Muller, D., Legendre, L., Wisniewski-Dy\u00e9, F., and Prigent-Combaret, C. (2013). Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and root system functioning. Front. Plant Sci., 4.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2013.00356"},{"key":"ref_57","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"579","DOI":"10.1007\/s13213-010-0117-1","article-title":"Soil beneficial bacteria and their role in plant growth promotion: A review","volume":"60","author":"Hayat","year":"2010","journal-title":"Ann. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_58","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"309","DOI":"10.1007\/s11104-017-3199-8","article-title":"Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria are more effective under drought: A meta-analysis","volume":"416","author":"Rubin","year":"2017","journal-title":"Plant Soil"},{"key":"ref_59","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mib.2017.03.008","article-title":"The unseen rhizosphere root\u2013soil\u2013microbe interactions for crop production","volume":"37","author":"Zhang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_60","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1007\/s10725-010-9479-4","article-title":"Effect of plant growth promoting Pseudomonas spp. on compatible solutes, antioxidant status and plant growth of maize under drought stress","volume":"62","author":"Sandhya","year":"2010","journal-title":"Plant Growth Regul."},{"key":"ref_61","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Anli, M., Baslam, M., Tahiri, A., Raklami, A., Symanczik, S., Boutasknit, A., Ait-El-Mokhtar, M., Ben-Laouane, R., Toubali, S., and Rahou, Y.A. (2020). Biofertilizers as strategies to improve photosynthetic apparatus, growth, and drought stress tolerance in the date palm. Front. Plant Sci., 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2020.516818"},{"key":"ref_62","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Xing, Y., Xie, Y., and Wang, X. (2025). Enhancing soil health through balanced fertilization: A pathway to sustainable agriculture and food security. Front. Microbiol., 16.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2025.1536524"},{"key":"ref_63","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1016\/bs.agron.2020.02.001","article-title":"Biofertilizers in agriculture: An overview on concepts, strategies and effects on soil microorganisms","volume":"162","author":"Gryta","year":"2020","journal-title":"Adv. Agron."},{"key":"ref_64","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bertola, M., Ferrarini, A., and Visioli, G. (2021). Improvement of soil microbial diversity through sustainable agricultural practices and its evaluation by-omics approaches: A perspective for the environment, food quality and human safety. Microorganisms, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms9071400"},{"key":"ref_65","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dhaliwal, S.S., Sharma, S., Sharma, V., Shukla, A.K., Walia, S.S., Alhomrani, M., Gaber, A., Toor, A.S., Verma, V., and Randhawa, M.K. (2021). Long-term integrated nutrient management in the maize\u2013wheat cropping system in alluvial soils of North-Western India: Influence on soil organic carbon, microbial activity and nutrient status. Agronomy, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/agronomy11112258"},{"key":"ref_66","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16554","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-018-34685-0","article-title":"Long-term combined application of manure and chemical fertilizer sustained higher nutrient status and rhizospheric bacterial diversity in reddish paddy soil of Central South China","volume":"8","author":"Cui","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_67","first-page":"19","article-title":"Development of biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture over four decades (1980\u20132022)","volume":"5","author":"Zhao","year":"2024","journal-title":"Geogr. Sustain."},{"key":"ref_68","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Busby, P.E., Soman, C., Wagner, M.R., Friesen, M.L., Kremer, J., Bennett, A., Morsy, M., Eisen, J.A., Leach, J.E., and Dangl, J.L. (2017). Research priorities for harnessing plant microbiomes in sustainable agriculture. PLoS Biol., 15.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pbio.2001793"},{"key":"ref_69","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liu, R., Li, M., Guo, S., and Chen, Y. (2024). The role of AMF community composition, diversity, and distribution in sustainable agroecosystems. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Sustainable Agriculture: Inoculum Production and Application, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-97-0296-1_13"},{"key":"ref_70","first-page":"339","article-title":"Commercialization and market perspectives of biofertilizers through advanced approaches","volume":"Volume II","author":"Kumar","year":"2024","journal-title":"Metabolomics, Proteomics and Gene Editing Approaches in Biofertilizer Industry"},{"key":"ref_71","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102536","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pmpp.2024.102536","article-title":"Ochrobactrum ciceri and zinc synergy combatting Fusarium verticillioides","volume":"136","author":"Perveen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Physiol. Mol. Plant Pathol."},{"key":"ref_72","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1473","DOI":"10.1007\/s10343-024-01062-z","article-title":"Vanillic acid enhances mung bean resistance and growth against Macrophomina phaseolina as a sustainable antifungal approach","volume":"76","author":"Ali","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Crop Health"},{"key":"ref_73","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100063","DOI":"10.1016\/j.crsust.2021.100063","article-title":"Biofertilizers: A nexus between soil fertility and crop productivity under abiotic stress","volume":"3","author":"Mahmud","year":"2021","journal-title":"Curr. Res. Environ. Sustain."},{"key":"ref_74","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2470","DOI":"10.22207\/JPAM.19.4.25","article-title":"Formulation breakthroughs: The key to tackling biofertilizer shelf life and quality challenges","volume":"19","author":"Kanishka","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Pure Appl. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_75","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shaaban, M., Asgari Lajayer, B., and Nazir, G. (2025). Promoting the use of bio-fertilizers to improve soil health. Front. Agron., 7.","DOI":"10.3389\/fagro.2025.1730845"},{"key":"ref_76","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hakeem, K.R., Dar, G.H., Mehmood, M.A., and Bhat, R.A. (2020). Microbiota and Biofertilizers: A Sustainable Continuum for Plant and Soil Health, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-48771-3"},{"key":"ref_77","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101917","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cocis.2025.101917","article-title":"Eco-sustainable delivery strategies to drive agriculture forward","volume":"77","author":"Gallucci","year":"2025","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Colloid Interface Sci."}],"container-title":["Plants"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2223-7747\/15\/14\/2120\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T12:25:32Z","timestamp":1783599932000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2223-7747\/15\/14\/2120"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]]},"references-count":77,"journal-issue":{"issue":"14","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]}},"alternative-id":["plants15142120"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/plants15142120","relation":{},"ISSN":["2223-7747"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2223-7747","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]]}}}