Vermicompost-Derived Biofertilizers: Unraveling Microbial Mechanisms for Plant Disease Suppression and Growth Promotion
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63561/jabs.v3i1.1175Keywords:
ACC-deaminase, Antibiosis, Food Safety, Quorum Quenching, Rhizosphere EngineeringAbstract
The transition toward sustainable agricultural intensification requires innovative biological alternatives to synthetic inputs. This review evaluates vermicompost-derived biofertilizers as complex microbial systems that facilitate both plant growth promotion and multi-tiered disease suppression. Unlike traditional composts, vermicompost is enriched with a diverse consortium of beneficial microbes, including Actinobacteriota and Proteobacteria, which are stabilized during the earthworm-mediated humification process. We analyze the molecular pathways through which these microbes modulate plant physiology, specifically focusing on the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase pathway to mitigate stress ethylene and the secretion of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) for root architecture optimization. Furthermore, the manuscript details the mechanisms of biotic resistance, including chitinase-mediated hyphal lysis, antibiosis via 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) production, and the disruption of pathogen communication through quorum quenching. From a food microbiology perspective, we discuss how these microbial communities engineer the rhizosphere to exclude foodborne pathogens, thereby enhancing produce safety. The synthesis concludes by addressing technological challenges in biofertilizer standardization and the potential for integrating artificial intelligence into precision rhizosphere management. This review provides a comprehensive framework for leveraging vermicompost as a fundamental tool for resilient and safe food production systems.
References
Ahmad, M., Ahmad, I., & Khan, M. S. (2023). Biofertilizers: A sustainable strategy for the management of soil health and crop productivity. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(2), 2431–2452.
Ali, S., Tyagi, A., & Mushtaq, M. (2021). Harnessing the potential of microbial siderophores for sustainable agriculture. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 40(6), 2415–2432.
Arancon, N. Q., Edwards, C. A., & Dick, R. (2020). Microbial Ecosystems in Vermicompost: Implications for Plant Health. Academic Press.
Bais, H. P., Park, S. W., & Weir, T. L. (2016). The role of root exudates in rhizosphere interactions with plants and other organisms. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 57, 233–266.
Bakker, M. G., Wallander, R. T., & Kinkel, L. L. (2018). Rhizosphere microbial community structure and function as influenced by plant species and soil properties. Applied Soil Ecology, 124, 182–191.
Bello, A. S., Han, J. S., & Kim, K. S. (2021). The role of organic amendments in the management of foodborne pathogens in agricultural soils. Food Control, 123, 107758.
Berendsen, R. L., Vismans, G., & Yu, K. (2018). Disease-induced assembly of a plant-beneficial bacterial consortium. The ISME Journal, 12(6), 1496–1507.
Bhattacharya, S., Das, A., & Singh, K. (2021). Metagenomic insights into the earthworm gut: A review of microbial transformations. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 131(4), 1580–1595.
Canellas, L. P., Olivares, F. L., & Aguiar, N. O. (2020). Humic substances and plant growth-promoting bacteria: An alliance for sustainable agriculture. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 7(1), 1–15.
Duran, P., Thiergart, T., & Garrido-Oter, R. (2018). Microbial interkingdom interactions in the rhizosphere. Nature Communications, 9(1), 1–10.
Fetzner, S. (2015). Quorum quenching enzymes. Journal of Biotechnology, 201, 2–14.
French, E., Kaplan, I., & Iyer-Pascuzzi, A. (2021). The next frontier in plant-microbiome interactions: From descriptions to prescriptions. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 60, 102010.
Garcia-Izquierdo, C., Zornoza, R., & Hernandez, T. (2021). Soil enzyme activities as indicators of soil health in organic farming systems. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 156, 108204.
Ghosh, P. K., Gupta, A., & Somasegaran, P. (2018). ACC deaminase producing rhizobacteria: An approach for alleviating abiotic stress in plants. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 1165.
Glick, B. R. (2014). Bacteria with ACC deaminase can promote plant growth and help to feed the world. Microbiological Research, 169(1), 30–39.
Grandclément, C., Tannières, M., & Moréra, S. (2016). Quorum quenching: Role in nature and applied development in agriculture. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 40(1), 86–116.
Kaur, T., Rani, R., & Manhas, R. K. (2020). Bioprospecting of antifungal compounds from Streptomyces species for biological control of phytopathogens. Current Microbiology, 77(7), 1305–1315.
Konduru, S., He, Z., & Zhang, M. (2021). Optimization of vermicompost tea production for enhanced plant growth and disease resistance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 290, 125184.
Krysciak, D., Schmeisser, C., & Streit, W. R. (2021). Quorum sensing and quorum quenching in sustainable agriculture. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 70, 1–7.
Lehmann, A., Zheng, W., & Rillig, M. C. (2017). Soil biota contributions to soil aggregation. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 1(12), 1828–1835.
Liu, H., Li, J., & Carvalhais, L. C. (2020). Evidence for the 'cry for help' hypothesis: Plant-microbiome assembly in response to stress. The ISME Journal, 14(1), 38–51.
Mierau, J., Lang, S., & Ziemert, N. (2021). The role of specialized metabolites in the formation of microbial biofilms. Natural Product Reports, 38(11), 2038–2051.
Neuhoff, D., Köpke, U., & Tegeder, M. (2022). Organic amendments and their impact on crop nutrient uptake and food safety. Plant and Soil, 471, 15–38.
Niewiadomska, A., Sulewska, H., & Wolna-Maruwka, A. (2020). The influence of bio-fertilizers on the soil microbiome and plant growth parameters. Agronomy, 10(7), 968.
Orozco-Mosqueda, M. D. C., Rocha-Granados, M. D. C., & Glick, B. R. (2022). Microbiome engineering to improve biocontrol and plant growth-promoting mechanisms. Microorganisms, 10(10), 1929.
Pathma, J., & Sakthivel, N. (2018). Microbial diversity of vermicompost bacteria and their plant growth promotion. Microbiological Research, 168(6), 317–328.
Pineda, A., Kaplan, I., & Bezemer, T. M. (2017). Steering the microbiome to enhance plant growth and health. Trends in Plant Science, 22(9), 766–778.
Prasad, M., Srinivasan, R., & Chaudhary, M. (2021). Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for sustainable agriculture: Perspectives and challenges. PGPR Amelioration in Sustainable Agriculture, 129–154.
Raza, W., Ling, N., & Yang, L. (2017). Response of tomato yield and wilt disease to ridge-furrow plastic-mulching and bio-organic fertilizer. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 1–12.
Riaz, U., Murtaza, G., & Farooq, M. (2021). Chemical and biological strategies for alleviating salt stress in crops. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 21(3), 1980–1995.
Saha, M., Maurya, B. R., & Meena, V. S. (2022). Microbial solubilization of insoluble phosphorus and potassium: A review of mechanisms and strategies. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 22(1), 452–470.
Sani, R. K., Rathinasabapathi, B., & Krishna, V. (2020). Rhizosphere signaling: The role of organic acids in microbial recruitment. Plant and Soil, 455, 123–142.
Singh, B. K., Egidi, E., & Macdonald, C. A. (2021). Determinants of soil microbiome assembly and its influence on ecosystem fertility. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 19(6), 375–390.
Trivedi, P., Leach, J. E., & Tringe, S. G. (2020). Plant–microbiome interactions: From community assembly to plant health. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 18(11), 607–621.
Vandana, U. K., Rajkumari, J., & Singha, L. P. (2021). The role of rhizobacterial secondary metabolites in plant health. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 130(3), 670–684.
Vassilev, N., Vassileva, M., & Martos, V. (2020). Formulation of microbial inoculants by encapsulation in natural polysaccharides: Recent advances and future challenges. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 8, 530.
Vaziriyan, M., Ghasemi, S., & Rezvani, M. (2022). Bioactive compounds in vermicompost: A molecular approach to plant defense. Rhizosphere, 21, 100468.
Wang, X., Zhao, Y., & Sun, Q. (2021). Biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis in the rhizosphere of plants treated with organic amendments. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 154, 108125.
Yuan, J., Zhao, J., & Wen, T. (2018). Root exudates drive the soil-borne legacy of plant disease resistance. Microbiome, 6(1), 156.
Zhang, W., Wang, N., & Li, X. (2020). Quorum sensing and its interference in plant-pathogen interactions. Molecular Plant Pathology, 21(11), 1431–1443.
Zuo, Y., Zhang, Y., & Zhao, L. (2019). The role of Bacillus species in the production of plant growth-promoting hormones. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 103(14), 5515–5524.
