The use of microbial inoculants in African agriculture: Current practice and future prospects

Various microbial inoculants can facilitate plant growth and minimize the effect of loss topsoil, soil infertility, poor plant growth, low yield index and insufficient diversity of indigenous microbes. Microbial inoculants are environmentally friendly microbial formulations and are a potential alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In fact, a higher level of fertilization may negatively affect the rhizobacterial community. Microbial inoculants may act as phytostimulants, biofertilizers and/or microbial biocontrol agents. This paper focuses on the usage, selection and characterization, production, formulation and commercial examples of microbial inoculants. Some examples of successes, problems, limitations and cooperation between countries are also mentioned. Thus, a better choice could be made on microbial inoculants from a wide perspective.