In the last sixty years, there has been an alarming decline in food quality and a decrease in a wide variety of nutritionally essential minerals and nutraceutical compounds in imperative fruits, vegetables, and food crops. The potential causes behind the decline in the nutritional quality of foods have been identified worldwide as chaotic mineral nutrient application, the preference for less nutritious cultivars/crops, the use of high-yielding varieties, and agronomic issues associated with a shift from natural farming to chemical farming. Likewise, the rise in atmospheric or synthetically elevated carbon dioxide could contribute to the extensive reductions in the nutritional quality of fruits, vegetables, and food crops. Since ancient times, nutrient-intense crops such as millets, conventional fruits, and vegetables have been broadly grown and are the most important staple food, but the area dedicated to these crops has been declining steadily over the past few decades and hastily after the green revolution era due to their poorer economic competitiveness with major commodities such as high-yielding varieties of potato, tomato, maize, wheat, and rice. The majority of the population in underdeveloped and developing countries have lower immune systems, are severely malnourished, and have multiple nutrient deficiency disorders due to poor dietary intake and less nutritious foods because of ignorance about the importance of our traditional nutrient-rich diets and ecofriendly organic farming methods. This critical review emphasizes the importance of balance and adequate nutrition as well as the need to improve soil biodiversity and fertility: those are main causes behind the decline in nutritional density. There is also emphasis on a possible way out of alleviating the decline nutritional density of food crops for the health and well-being of future generations.

Red cabbage is known as the millennium’s functional food, which has a lot of importance in our diet because of the health-promoting ingredients present in it. The current study investigated the synergistic relationship of rhizospheric-competent microbial agents (Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus subtilis) in modulating the performance of red cabbage under the field conditions of Middle Gangetic Plains, India. Growth parameters were studied at three developmental stages, viz., pre-cupping, early head formation, and maturity. Our results suggested that the dual application of T. harzianum + P. fluorescens along with the 75% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) increased the number of leaves (24.6), leaf area (537.2 cm²), root length (19.8 cm), and micronutrient uptake (Fe, Mn, and Cu) by head of the crop, whereas the co-inoculation of P. fluorescens and B. subtilis along with 75% RDF enhanced plant spread (39.0 cm), earliness (95.2 days), and Zn uptake. Maximum plant height (28.7 cm) and chlorophyll (SPAD, 77.3) were recorded in 100% RDF (120:60:60 kg ha⁻¹) and the combination of T. harzianum + B. subtilis along with 75% RDF, respectively. Interestingly, consortium (T. harzianum + P. fluorescens) bio-primed plants recorded about 14% higher root length in comparison to plants receiving sole fertilizers. The regression analysis revealed a significant relationship of Fe and Mn uptake with chlorophyll (SPAD) and between Zn uptake and the earliness of the crop. The present study indicated that seedling bio-priming with the dual consortium of efficient bio-agents is a viable strategy to lessen our dependence on chemical fertilizers for improving red cabbage production.

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi seasons of 2009–10 and 2010–11 at the Agricultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (U.P.) to study the effect of fertilizer levels, FYM and bioinoculants and their interaction effect on soil properties. The treatments consisted four levels of recommended dose of fertilizer (0, 50, 75 and 100% NPK), two levels of farmyard manure (0, 10 t ha⁻¹) and four inoculation [no inoculation, PGPR (Azotobactor chroococum W5 + Azospirillum brasilence Cd+ Pseudomonas fluorescens BHU PSB06 + Bacillus megaterium BHU PSB14), VAM (vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza) and PGPR+VAM]. The experiment was replicated thrice in a split plot design. The results revealed that application of different treatments did not affect the pH, EC and bulk density decreased, water holding capacity, organic carbon and CEC significantly improved after harvest of wheat. The dehydrogenase, phosphatase enzyme activity and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and available N, P and K and microbial population of soil after the harvest of wheat were improved significantly due to the integration of inorganic fertilizers with FYM and bioinoculants. Positive impact of biological and organic manure application have been recorded with an additional advantage of reduction of chemical fertilizer use.

Two-year field experiments were conducted to study the effect of different levels of inorganic fertilizers, farmyard manure (FYM), and bio-inoculants on wheat productivity and profitability. Results specified that judicious application of inorganic fertilizers, FYM, and bio-inoculants significantly increased the productivity and profitability of wheat. Data suggested that the aggregate levels of fertilizer up to 100% NPK ha⁻¹ resulted in significant increases in all growth attributes, grain yield (+206%), straw yield (+177%), and harvest index (+7%) as compared to control. Meanwhile, plots with the application of 10 t ha⁻¹ FYM significantly (p < 0.05) increased grain yield (+26%) and straw yield (+22%) as compared to the control. Similarly, significant enhancement in grain and straw yields was observed with the application of PGPR + VAM over no-inoculation. Results showed that the significantly higher grain and straw yield attained by application of 75% NPK fertilizer + 10 t ha⁻¹ FYM was at par with the application of 100% NPK fertilizer alone. Further, net returns (profitability) and B:C ratio (2.37) were significantly higher with fertilization with 75% NPK + 10 t ha⁻¹ FYM along with PGPR + VAM as compared to 100% NPK alone. Overall, it can be concluded that the combination of 75% NPK and 10 t ha⁻¹ FYM along with PGPR + VAM represented the optimum for net return and B:C ratio and reduced (25%) dose of NPK as compared to the rest of the treatment combinations.