The rapid growth of the human population has significantly increased the demand for food, leading to the intensification of agricultural practices that negatively impact the environment. Climate change poses a significant threat to global food production, as it can disrupt crop yields and modify the lifecycle stages of phytopathogens and pests. To address these challenges, the use of microbial inoculants, which are bioproducts containing beneficial microorganisms known as plant growth promotion microorganisms (PGPMs), has emerged as an innovative approach in sustainable agriculture. This review covers the isolation and identification of beneficial strains, the screening and selection process, the optimization of production techniques, and the importance of quality control and field testing. It also discusses the key points for the development and formulation of high-quality microbial inoculants, as well as highlights their advancements, current challenges, and future directions for research and application.

COLMENA is a microbial culture collection dedicated to the characterization, classification, preservation, and transferal of native microorganisms isolated from various agro-systems and other ecosystems in Mexico. This collection aims to protect microbial diversity, reducing soil degradation, but also exploiting its agro-biotechnological potential. So far, COLMENA has isolated and cryopreserved soil microorganisms from different crops in two major agricultural regions in Mexico, the Yaqui Valley, Sonora, and the Fuerte Valley, Sinaloa. COLMENA has specialized in the identification and characterization of microbial strains with metabolic capacities related to the promotion of plant growth and the biocontrol of phytopathogens. Thus, COLMENA has identified several promising plant growth-promoting microbial (PGPM) strains due to their metabolic and genetic potentials and their beneficial effects in vivo and field trials. These findings demonstrate the biotechnological potential of these strains for their future use in profitable agricultural alternatives focused on enhancing global food security. To share the knowledge and results of the COLMENA team’s scientific research, a virtual platform was created, where the database of the studied and preserved microorganisms is available to professionals, researchers, agricultural workers, and anyone who is interested.

Bacillus cabrialesii is a novel bacterial species isolated from wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) plants in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico, by our research team. Over years of research studying this strain at the cutting-edge level, it has shown different mechanisms of action. B. cabrialesii is strongly reported as a plant-growth-promoting bacterium and a biological control agent on wheat crops. Knowing this, B. cabrialesii has been brought from lab to field as part of a bacterial consortium, not to mention that there are ongoing investigations into formulating a cost-effective bioinoculant to increase the yield and/or quality of wheat. Moreover, studies of this novel species as a biocontrol agent in other crops (pepper, tomato, cucumber, and potato) are being carried out, with preliminary results that make B. cabrialesii a promising biological control agent, inhibiting the growth of phytopathogens. However, research into this bacterium has not only been reported in our country; there are many studies around the world in which promising native Bacillus strains end up being identified as B. cabrialesii, which reaffirms the fact that this bacterial species can promote plant growth and combat phytopathogens, showing great agrobiotechnological potential.

Soil erosion represents a critical socio-economic and environmental hazard for Mexico and the world. Given that soil erosion is a phenomenon influenced by human activities, it is essential to know the level of cultural perspectives on this matter. An instrument with eight scales was applied to 275 university students from a northwestern Mexican city, which measured the knowledge about soil erosion, self-efficacy in solving the problem, future perspectives, perceived consequences, obstacles to addressing soil erosion, and mitigation intentions and behaviors. To analyze the relationship between the scales and the intentions and behaviors of soil erosion mitigation, a model of structural equations was tested. In summary, the participants know the problem of soil erosion, its impacts, and recognize risks to human and environmental health. They also know their important role within soil conservation; however, they identified significant obstacles to action. This study determined that each indicator has a correlation with soil erosion mitigation intentions except for the obstacles. The indicators that had the greatest positive relationship in mitigation intentions were knowledge, self-efficacy, and the perspective of the future. The implications of these results open the landscape to the creation of efficient strategies to mitigate soil erosion in this region and Mexico.

Este libro reúne una guía práctica y accesible para impulsar el manejo sostenible del suelo en los sistemas agrícolas y ganaderos de México. A lo largo de sus capítulos se presentan herramientas técnicas, saberes locales y estrategias agroecológicas que permiten conservar la calidad del suelo, fortalecer su biodiversidad, optimizar el uso del agua y robustecer la resiliencia comunitaria. Las prácticas incorporadas pueden adaptarse a los diversos contextos ecológicos y sociales del país, y buscan acompañar a productoras, productores y técnicos de campo en la transición hacia sistemas agrícolas y ganaderos más sostenibles.