Bioinoculants: A natural boost for tuber yields

Tuber crops play a pivotal role in global food systems. However, their productivity is often constrained by declining soil fertility, pest and disease pressures and over reliance on chemical inputs. Bioinoculants offer sustainable solutions through enhanced nutrient availability, stress tolerance and disease resistance. This review examines the application, dosage and efficiency of bioinoculants in tuber crops. Strains such as Azospirillum lipoferum have been shown to increase potato tuber weight by 16-22.7 %, while co-inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens and Burkholderia ambifaria improved yield by up to 63.6 %. Rhizophagus irregularis and Glomus mosseae significantly enhanced nutrient uptake and yield, with an increase of up to 56 % in yams and over 18 % in sweet potato. Biocontrol agents like Trichoderma harzianum and Streptomyces spp. reduced disease incidence and improved tuber quality. In cassava, combining Oso Bio-Degrader (OBD) biofertilizer (4 t/ha) with NPK (300 kg/ha) resulted in a maximum yield of 31.2 t/ha. Sweet potato trials showed that using Pseudomonas fluorescens with reduced fertilizer inputs-maintained yields close to those under full NPK doses. Bioinoculants also improved tuber nutritional quality and reduced postharvest losses. Application methods such as seed coating, root dipping and incorporation into organic amendments enhanced efficacy and field performance. The findings highlight the significant potential of bioinoculants in boosting tuber crop productivity while reducing reliance on synthetic agrochemicals.