The use of microorganisms as a means to increase productivity and sustainability of agricultural crops

Crop farming is one of the most important branches of agriculture which, in turn, determines the development of animal husbandry, as the success of animal husbandry depends on the feed quality by 50-60%. Currently, in the world, the use of biological preparations instead of or in conjunction with chemical plant protection products and mineral fertilizers is becoming increasingly popular and in demand. The widespread use of biological products is typical of many countries in Europe, the USA, China, Japan, etc. Unfortunately, in the Russian Federation, the volume of biological agents, used in the crop industry, is significantly inferior to the number of chemical preparations. At the same time, microbial preparations are able to increase plants' biological and economic productivity by synthesizing a number of biologically active compounds by microorganisms (amino acids, substances of phytohormonal action, etc.), transferring inaccessible forms of nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) into forms available to plants, as well as performing a protective role in the fight against pathogenic fungi and bacteria. In addition, the use of biological products is a necessary condition for obtaining organic products. The most valuable for the real economic sector are selected scientifically based pairs of “strain of a microorganism and plant variety”, which will allow achieving the highest yield and plant stability in specific environmental conditions on a specific mineral soil background. The article presents an overview of Russian and foreign studies on the effect of various microbial preparations and strains of microorganisms on the growth and productivity of agricultural crops. According to a number of authors, of the free-living microorganisms, the most promising for use in the crop farming practice are microorganisms of the genera Bacillus and Pseudomonas, whose representatives are able to exert both growth-stimulating and protective effects on plants, which ultimately affects the crops' productivity.