Influence of Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Microbial Aspects of Soil

Abstract Soil is a non-renewable natural resource essential for supporting plants, animals, and microorganisms. The intensification of conventional agriculture has substantially affected soil health, including its microbial component. This review evaluates how sustainable agricultural practices, including crop rotation, intercropping, cover cropping, organic amendments, and agroforestry, influence microbial aspects of soil health, with particular emphasis on microbial biomass, diversity, community composition, and functions related to nutrient cycling. Peer-reviewed studies published up to 2025 were identified through Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar using combinations of terms describing individual agricultural practices and microbial soil health parameters. The reviewed evidence indicates that crop diversification can enhance microbial biomass and modify microbial community composition through changes in soil properties, nutrient cycling, root exudation, and organic inputs, although responses vary among cropping systems and environmental conditions. Organic amendments generally increase microbial biomass and can promote microbial diversity by supplying organic and mineral nutrients and providing favorable microhabitats, with the magnitude of these effects strongly dependent on the amendment type and soil conditions. Agroforestry practices can also modify microbial biomass and diversity through increased plant diversity, rhizodeposition, and organic matter inputs, but responses depend on plant species, management, climate, and soil properties. Overall, sustainable agricultural practices show considerable potential to support the microbial component of soil health; however, their effects are context-dependent and cannot be generalized across all production systems. Further long-term and function-oriented research is needed to link changes in microbial communities with soil processes, crop performance, and ecosystem services.