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The Importance and Effects of Probiotics on AlbertaScreenshots_2024-08-09-19-59-44.png

Agriculture According to Salter in 2017, there will be an increase in food demand in the coming decades due to the change in human dietary habits. However, the current state of agricultural and livestock production will not be able to sustain the exponential growth of the human population in the next 50 years. Furthermore, the intensive method of farming involves the use of substances that can cause agrochemical pollution which can cause environmental conditions or biotic stresses toward crops. Recently, the agricultural sector has witnessed a growing interest in probiotics to help increase the potential of their farming practices. Probiotics are known for promoting gut health in humans but can also be used in agriculture to increase crop yields, soil health, and overall sustainability.


  Understanding Probiotics in Agriculture
Generally, bacteria occur naturally in the soil, play a key part in plant health, and provide a basis for a successful crop. Microorganisms are important in agriculture as they help to naturally promote the growth and health of plants and agricultural products. Probiotics are live microorganisms that offer health benefits to the host if they are administered in adequate amounts. In agriculture, probiotics have shown their different abilities to stimulate plant growth, promote soil health, control plant pathogens, and enhance plant tolerance to different abiotic and biotic stresses. Probiotics comprise several living microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and so on. Furthermore, probiotics have evolved over the years as they adopt diverse mechanisms and can produce several macro and micro molecules to help ensure they survive and compete with diverse soil microorganisms. Some of the benefits of probiotics in agriculture are:
Enhancing Soil Health

• One of the most crucial uses of probiotics in agriculture is soil management. When probiotics are introduced to the soil, they help improve soil structure, microbial diversity, and nutrient content. Some of the ways probiotics enhance soil health are stated below: Probiotics can help to enhance the availability of essential nutrients like potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. This is because probiotics can help to ensure the availability of certain beneficial bacteria in the soil that can fix atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can readily absorb. This also helps to reduce the need to use synthetic fertilizers.
• Probiotics can help in decomposing organic matter like crop residues and manure into humus. This helps to improve soil fertility and structure, leading to better water retention and aeration in the soil.
• Probiotic microorganisms can help to reduce the incidence of soil-borne diseases and pests by producing antimicrobial substances in the soil.

Improving Crop Yields
The application of probiotics can also cause notable improvements in crop yields and can be achieved through the following.

• Probiotics can stimulate root growth and development which allows plants to access more water and nutrients from the soil. This can also help to improve plant resilience to environmental stresses like drought
• Some probiotic strains help produce growth-promoting substances like gibberellins and auxins that enhance plant growth and productivity. Furthermore, probiotics can help bolster plant immune systems to make the plant more resistant to pests and diseases.
• Probiotics can also improve soil health and plant resilience by reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, leading to sustainable farming practice.

sustainable farming practices.
The use of probiotics in agriculture aligns with sustainable agriculture principles as it helps to balance productivity with environmental concerns. Here are some ways that probiotics can contribute to sustainability:

• Probiotics can help reduce the need for chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides when farming. This will help to not only lower costs for the farmers but will also reduce environmental pollution.
• Probiotics promote the diversity of microbes in the soil, which is important to maintain ecosystem balance and enhance agricultural resilience.
• Healthy soils enriched with probiotics can help retain water and resist erosion. This can then help to contribute to long-term soil conservation and resilience against extreme weather conditions.

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Challenge
Although probiotic's benefits in agriculture are promising, there are still several challenges that need to be overcome. One such is the need to research extensively on probiotics to help identify the most effective probiotic strains for different crops and soils and the development of the best way to apply them. Furthermore, the agricultural industry also needs to address the issues related to the cost-effectiveness and scalability of using probiotics.
 

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