Abstract

The deep insight into the nexus among soil ecosystems, soil bacteria and plant development can be enhanced by understanding the future of rhizobacteria. The plant growth-promoting bacteria from the rhizosphere community contribute hugely to environmental conservation and agricultural sustainability. These rhizobacteria promotes soil nutrient uptake, synthesizes phytohormones, suppresses pathogens, alleviates abiotic stress and boosts plant health. Irrespective of the ecological and agricultural importance of rhizobacteria, environmental variability, inconsistent field performance, technological knowhow, and regulatory hurdles constrained the effectiveness of rhizobacteria-based applications. Here, we explore the future directions in rhizobacteria research under the following subheadings: (i) multiomics approaches for obtaining functional insights into rhizobacteria, (ii) rhizobacterial engineering and synthetic biology, (iii) artificial intelligence and machine learning for predictive rhizobacteria modelling, and (iv) policy development for enhancing rhizobacterial optimization. Utilizing rhizobacteria-based solutions holds immense potential for transforming modern agriculture and tackling insistent universal challenges in terms of food security and ecological sustainability.

Key words: Environmental sustainability, Multiomics, Regulatory hurdles, Rhizosphere, Root-associated bacteria