Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur-208024, Uttar Pradesh, India
Healthy soil is the foundation of the food system. It produces healthy crops that in turn nourish people. Healthy soil is teeming with microscopic and larger organisms that perform many vital functions. Microbial enzymes are key to soil quality and functioning due to their involvement in organic matter dynamics, nutrient cycling and decomposition of organic matter, their mineralisation and the liberation of nutrients including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus other essential metals. Above all, enzymes of microbial origin have major impact on microbial community including phytopathogens, hence playing an important role in agriculture. Due to effective harnessing of agro-ecological processes, conservation agriculture will provide an opportunity for reducing external input requirements and for converting low-input agricultural systems into more productive one. This review summarised the function and biochemistry of some microbial enzymes that played conclusive role in agro-ecosystem processes and plantgrowth enhancement. Studies focusing the understanding of enzymes from microbial diversity in the soil might be the most suitable practices that may positively influence their activities for improved plant growth as well as rendering the friendly biological environments to sustain other living beings.
Abiotic stress, Biocontrol, Enzymes, Nutrient acquisition, Mineralisation, Phytopathogens, Rhizosphere
