Prominent use of lactic acid bacteria in soil-plant systems

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are ubiquitous, Gram-positive, probiotic, and facultative aerophilic microorganisms. They are commonly found in wide range of environments including food-rich environments, decaying plants, milk products, the human gut, vaginal flora, and on the skin of various living organisms. These multifaceted bacteria have multiple roles including promoting food safety; promoting plant growth; improving soil, animal, and human health. They are also an integral part of sustainable farming strategies with a low risk of resistance to chemical pesticides, making them an environmentally friendly and effective way of managing pests and diseases and improving plant production. While the traditional role of LAB in food processing and human health sectors has been widely studied and documented, there is increasing attention to their additional roles that empirical evidences and research have validated such as serving as biofertilizers, biocontrol, and biostimulant agents in plant production through the production of bacteriocins, organic acids, and other compounds. However, there is still a gap in unlocking the relationship between LAB, soil, and plant hosts. Through a review of the literature and metadata, this review aims to discuss the less-explored relevance of LAB in soil-plant systems and spotlight the prospects for increased acceptance as sustainable and safe soil and plant health enhancers. The first part concentrates on analyzing the existing metadata, while the discussion part essentially focus on literature review.