Abstract

 As the world’s population is increasing rapidly, there is an urgent need to increase crop production. To achieve this goal, an eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides is required. Several types of microbes have been identified inhabiting the plant rhizosphere, such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria, plant growthpromoting rhizobacteria, fungi, proteobacteria, mycoparasitic and mycorrhizal fungi. These microorganisms not only influence the growth and development of plants but also suppress pathogenic microbes near plant roots through several different mechanisms. Non-symbiotic microbes play a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycling of organic and inorganic phosphorus (P) near the root zone via solubilization and mineralization of P from total soil phosphorus. Additionally, some non-pathogenic microbes have also been reported to induce systemic resistance in plants, which is phenotypically similar to pathogen-induced systemic acquired resistance (SAR). The present review summarizes the latest knowledge on the role of non-pathogenic strains of microbiomes residing in the rhizosphere and their commercial applications.