Qikun Huang

Research Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China
Author    Correspondence author
Molecular Microbiology Research, 2024, Vol. 14, No. 1   doi: 10.5376/mmr.2024.14.0006
Received: 27 Dec., 2023    Accepted: 06 Feb., 2024    Published: 22 Feb., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Huang Q.K., 2024, Enhancing soil health and biodiversity through nitrogen fixation symbiosis in Leguminous plants, Molecular Microbiology Research, 14(1): 49-60 (doi: 10.5376/mmr.2024.14.0006)

Leguminous plants play a crucial role in agricultural ecosystems and the maintenance of biodiversity due to their symbiotic nitrogen-fixing capabilities with soil microbes, particularly rhizobia. This review explores the interactions between leguminous plants and soil microbial communities, as well as the functions and impacts of this symbiosis in ecological and agricultural production. It analyzes the role of leguminous plants in ecosystems and the biological basis of their nitrogen fixation mechanisms, emphasizing the importance of nitrogen fixation in enhancing plant growth and soil fertility. The review delves into how leguminous plants influence soil health and plant productivity by altering the diversity and activity of soil microbes. Through specific case studies, it further illustrates the practical applications and potential challenges of these interactions in different ecological and agricultural systems, and discusses the environmental and management factors affecting these interactions, proposing directions for future research. This review aims to provide a scientific basis for sustainable agricultural practices and ecosystem management, highlighting the importance of researching the interactions between leguminous plants and soil microbes.

Leguminous plants; Soil microbial communities; Nitrogen fixation symbiosis; Soil health; Ecosystem functions