Soil health management strategies for climate-resilient agriculture

Achieving global agricultural production goals is becoming more difficult due to multiple challenges and increasing climate variability. In response, sustainable agriculture focuses on maintaining soil health worldwide, acknowledging the vital role of soil microorganisms in preserving soil quality and productivity. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), cyanobacteria, and beneficial nematodes are among the diverse organisms that support nutrient transformation, phytohormone production, plant resilience against abiotic stresses, and nutrient cycling within the soil system. Regenerative agriculture (RA) and organic farming strategies are essential in boosting soil microfauna diversity and abundance. Under the soil security framework, crop diversification, intercropping, and crop rotation are seen as effective strategies. However, achieving long-term adaptation requires updating agricultural production methods to current climate conditions, which calls for comprehensive, system-wide actions and significant policy and institutional changes at both national and local levels. Establishing beneficial relationships between plants and microbes, using advantageous microbial agents, appears to be a promising strategy for optimizing agricultural land use in the face of climate change.