There are many reasons for the increase in hydroponics/soil-free systems in agriculture, and these systems have now advanced to the form of vertical farming. The sustainable use of space, the reduction in water use compared to soil-based agriculture, the lack of pesticides, the ability to control nutrient inputs, and the implementation of user-friendly technology for environmental control and harvesting are all factors that have made the global market for vertical farming predicted to reach more than USD 10.02 billion by 2027. By comparison, soil-based agriculture consumes 20 times more water, and some agricultural practices promote soil deterioration and cause environmental pollution. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) have been used extensively in traditional agriculture to enhance plant growth, environmental stress tolerance, and the efficacy of phytoremediation in soil-based farming. Due to the controlled atmosphere in hydroponics and vertical farms, there is strong potential to maximize the use of PGPMs. Here, we review the leveraging of plant growth-promoting microorganism mechanisms in hydroponics and vertical farming. We recommend a synchronized PGPM treatment using a biostimulant extract added to the hydroponic medium while also pre-treating seeds or seedlings with a microbial suspension for aquaponic and aeroponic systems.

Recently, there is an increasing demand for functional yoghurts by consumer, especially those produced through the incorporation of food of plant origin or its bioactive components. The current research was devoted to formulating functional buffalo yoghurt through the addition of 0.1 and 0.2% of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seed flour (F1 and F2) and Moringa oleifera seed flour (M1 and M2). The effects of fortification were evaluated on physicochemical, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AOA), the viability of yoghurt starter, and sensory acceptability of yoghurts during cold storage. Moringa oleifera seed flour had higher contents of TPC (140.12 mg GAE/g) and AOA (31.30%) as compared to fenugreek seed flour (47.4 mg GAE/g and 19.1%, respectively). Values of TPC and AOA significantly increased in fortified yoghurts, and M2 treatment had the highest values of TPC (31.61, 27.29, and 25.69 mg GAE/g) and AOA (89.32, 83.5, and 80.35%) at 1, 7, and 14 days of storage, respectively. M2 showed significantly higher antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. and the zones of inhibition were 12.65, 13.14, 17.23 and 14.49 mm, respectively. On the other hand, control yoghurt showed the lowest antibacterial activity and the zones of inhibition were (4.12, 5.21, 8.55, and 8.39 mm against E. coli, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp., respectively). Incorporation of 0.1% and 0.2% of moringa seed flour (M1 and M2) led to a higher content of Ca, P, K, and Fe and lower content of Mg and Zn as compared to F1 and F2, respectively. Thus, it could be concluded that fenugreek and Moringa oleifera seed flour can be exploited in the preparation of functional novel yoghurt.