Microorganisms in the Conversion of Agricultural Wastes to Compost

Microorganisms play an important role in the recycling of agricultural wastes. The compost generated by bioconversion of agroresidues offers several benefits such as enhanced soil fertility and soil health which can lead to increased agricultural productivity, improved soil biodiversity, reduced ecological risks and a healthier environment. These virtues make composting an ideal option for processing of the enormous quantities of agrowastes that are generated in the world. Recent reports also indicate multifarious uses of bioaugmented compost as carrier for bioinoculants, biocontrol agents for diseases suppressivness and bioremediation. There is definite need to intensify research on novel effective microorganisms to prepare high quality compost in a relatively shorter duration and new technologies for large-scale production.