White grubs, Holotrichia longipennis, are major agricultural pests that cause extensive crop damage. The gut microbiota plays a critical role in nitrogen metabolism, enabling larvae to thrive on nitrogen-poor diets. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing revealed a diverse gut microbiota dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, with Enterobacter (32

Microbial metabolic activities in the rhizosphere are essential for plant nutrition and yield. The study was carried out during 2023–2024 at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to profile the rhizosphere metabolic community fingerprints using Biolog EcoPlateTM assays in rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown on neutral soil under conventional flooded (CF) and aerobic [simulating direct-seeded rice (DSR)] methods, with high (HN, 150 kg N/ha) or low (LN, 25 kg N/ha) nitrogen (N). The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design (RBD). Average well colour development (AWCD) of total and class-specific substrates, diversity indices, and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to assess community-level metabolic activity, diversity, and carbon source utilisation patterns (CSUP). Low-N treatments (CFLN, DSRLN) showed higher AWCD (1.45 and 1.31, respectively) and broader substrate utilisation, indicating enhanced microbial activity and metabolic flexibility. The low-N treatment under DSR (DSRLN) had the most metabolically diverse and even communities, whereas the CF system (CFLN) favoured heterotrophic, oligotrophic communities adapted to anoxia. CSUP revealed differential catabolism of amino and carboxylic acids, with marginal variation in amine and polymer utilisation. PCA separated the CSUP along nitrogen and cultivation methods, high-N CF method (CFHN) favoured copiotrophic degradation of aromatics and polymers, while low-N DSR (DSRLN) promoted oxidative metabolism of keto acids, benzoates, and disaccharides. Functional indices reflected niche-specific adaptation, with DSRLN exhibiting the highest Shannon diversity and CFLN dominated by specialists for distinct carbon classes. Nitrogen availability and cultivation methods act as filters shaping rhizosphere metabolic activity, flexibility, and community stability, influencing sustainable rice cultivation. Therefore, understanding the management of rhizosphere microbiome under DSR is critical to unlock its potential as a sustainable, water-saving alternative to conventional flooded rice.

Biological nitrogen fixation is a significant source of fixed nitrogen in paddy soils and is influenced by the chemical N fertilizer application. The objective of this study was to quantify the abundance of nifH gene copies in different paddy soils and to characterize the impact of N fertilizers in the rhizosphere of rice as influenced by conventional flooding (CF) or direct seeded rice (DSR) during vegetative and flowering stages of plant growth. A microcosmic experiment was conducted with the amendment of three N concentrations (0, 10, and 100 mM) in six distinct paddy soils. Further, a field experiment was carried out by employing CF and DSR methods of rice cultivation with T1-RDF and T2-50% N as urea and KNO3 at 75:25 with full PK. The nifH abundance ranged from 2.20×105 to 1.01×107 g-1 soil and diverged significantly among distinct soil types. Soils treated with 10 mM of N had 16 to 58% higher nifH abundance, while the addition of N at 100 mM reduced nifH gene copies by 4 to 8%. Similarly, the application of 50% N relative to the recommended fertilizer N dose, led to the enrichment of nifH in rice rhizosphere under both CF (9- 25%) and DSR (11-29%) methods. Unlike the DSR (3.56 to 8.85×106 g-1 soil), conventionally flooded fields (6.14×106 to 1.01×107 g-1 soil) had higher nifH abundance in the rice rhizosphere. Furthermore, nifH abundance peaked during the flowering stage of plant growth and was 0.38 to 1.2 folds higher than at the vegetative stage. This study signifies that overuse of N fertilizers may restrict biological N fixation, while adequate N supply can enhance the abundance of nifH gene copies. Conventional flooding method of rice cultivation induced nifH abundance in the rice rhizosphere, which peaked during the flowering stage.

An investigation was carried out from November, 2020 to April, 2021 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, employing a split-split plot layout with two cropping systems (rice-wheat and maize-wheat), four long-term crop residue management strategies including burning (CRB), removal (CRR), incorporation (CRI), and biochar (BC), and two nitrogen management: neem-coated urea (NCU) and Urea+dual (urease+nitrification) inhibitor (UUINI). Soil DNA was extracted and quantified for 16S bacteria, 16S archaea, nifH, ureC and anammox abundances using quantitative PCR. Additionally, Soil samples were analysed for available nitrogen (urea, NH4+, NO3-) and water-soluble carbon. Rice-wheat rotations favoured higher 16S bacterial abundance while maize-wheat elevated 16S archaea. Notably, CRI and BC exhibited higher bacterial abundance compared to CRR and CRB, while minimal impact was noticed for archaea. The nifH gene abundance was influenced by all treatments along with their interactions. UreC gene copies exhibited a direct relationship with 16S archaea and an inverse relationship with 16S bacteria; UUINI showed a higher abundance of ureC under CRI and BC in both cropping systems. Moreover, anammox abundance correlated positively with NH4+ and NO3- but negatively with unhydrolyzed urea, indicating the inhibitory effect of UUINI. These findings underscore the complex relationships among inhibitors, residue management, cropping systems and soil microbial communities, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches to optimise nutrient cycling and soil health in agricultural systems.

Seed priming is a popular pre-sowing treatment that improves germination and activates metabolic functions for enhanced seed vigour and plant establishment under environmental stresses. However, the impact of seed priming on the composition of microbial communities associated with rice seedlings remains largely unknown. This study examined the changes in the microbial community composition of rice seedlings due to seed priming using different methods such as hydropriming, osmopriming, and micronutrient priming, using cv. Sulendhas (identified as high vigour), cv. R- 43 (low vigour), and cv. Pusa Basmati 1509 (popular aromatic rice). Seed priming by different methods improved seedling growth and other germination metrics, such as germination percentage, germination energy, germination index, mean generation time, seedling length, and seedling vigour index, compared to the control with the non-primed seeds. The cultivar-specific effects on seed germination and seedling growth followed the order: Sulendhas > Pusa Basmati 1509 > R- 43. The microbial communities associated with seedlings using hydro-primed seeds showed an increased abundance of bacterial taxon-specific 16S rRNA gene copies of Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacillota, Bacillus, Acidobacteriota, Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota, and Planctomycetota. But, the microbe-specific functional gene copies of mxaF (methanol dehydrogenase), phyC (phytase), peh (polygalactouranase), and Amy (amylase) were more in osmo-primed seedlings. Likewise, the considerable increases in microbe-specific gene copies of AcdS (ACC deaminase), ipd C (IAA), desD (siderophore), and AcPho (phosphatase) in seedlings suggested the positive effect of osmopriming on phytohormone production, such as auxin and ethylene, regulation of different enzyme activity (amylase and phytase), siderophore production, and phosphate solubilization. These results demonstrate that seed priming methods have a characteristic effect on the composition of microbial communities, with unique taxonomic and functional traits that are cultivar-specific in rice.

Cyanobacterial biofertilizers provide soil fertility and productivity gains at varying levels in paddy rice cultivation. The colonization and influences of introduced strains in different soil types with characteristic compositions of native cyanobacteria remain largely unknown. In this work, seven paddy rice soils with the composition of indigenous cyanobacteria described by amplicon sequencing analysis were inoculated with the cyanobacterial biofertilizer. The microbial abundance and the cyanophage concentrations were evaluated under light-dark or continuous dark cycles using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays. The copies of cyanobacterial-16S rRNA gene markers varied from 5.65 × 106 to 9.22 × 107 g-1 soil, and their abundance increased significantly in the inoculated soils. The cyanophage concentrations, quantified using the capsid assembly protein gene g20 in the soils tested, ranged from 3.04 × 108 to 9.24× 108 g-1 soil on 30 days after incubation. There were significant increases in the abundance of the nifH gene copies, about 1.54×105 to 1.35×106 g-1, in the inoculated soils, albeit with soil type-specific responses. The gene markers of C and N cycling (i.e., cbbL and nifH, respectively), taxonomic markers (of archaea, bacteria, and cyanobacteria), and cyanophage-specific gene copies showed strong and positive correlation with the cyanobacterial biofertilizer inoculation. However, the genes related to nitrification (bacterial and archaeal amoA) and denitrification (nirS, nirK, narG, and nosZ) were clustered together in the uninoculated soils. The rice rhizospheres in three representative paddy soil types, using metatranscriptomics analysis, showed distinctive colonization by cyanobacteria, with several members yet to be described. These results indicate the potential for improving cyanobacterial biofertilizers for their contributions to plant growth and fertility gains in a soil-specific way.

Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity, and chemical N fertilizers are often applied to enhance rice production. However, the response of soil microbial activity and corresponding functional genes to chemical fertilization remains unclear. The present study was carried out during rainy (kharif) seasons of 2019 and 2020 at the research farms of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study in the microbial responses to different concentration of nitrogen and fertilizers applied to the soil of rice fields. Study included a microcosmic experiment with 3 N concentrations (0, 10, and 100 mM), and treatment included were T1, RDF; T2, 50% N as urea and KNO3 at 75:25 with PK; T3, 50% N as urea and KNO3 at 75:25 with PK and ammonium oxidizing microbial consortium. Nitrogen addition at 10 and 100 mM increased urease activity by 19–26%, potential ammonium oxidation (PAO) by 16–49%, and ureC gene copies by 10–22%. Indeed, treated soils possessed 1.2 to 6.5 folds’ higher copies of archaeal- and bacterial amoA. In the field experiments, the rhizosphere of T1 showed the highest urease and PAO activities while having the lowest activity of ammonification. The abundance of ureC, archaeal-, and bacterial amoA genes ranged from 2.9×106 to 2.0×107, 4.6×103 to 2.4×104, and 2.3 to 9.4×106 copies/g soil, respectively. The ureC gene copies were more abundant in T1, while archaeal and bacterial amoA genes exhibited the highest copies in T3. Urease activity and ureC copies were highest during the vegetative stage, while PAO, and archaeal- and bacterial amoA gene copies were enriched during the flowering stage. The gene abundance and associated enzymatic activities showed a strong correlation, implying that structural changes in the microbial community due to different combinations of fertilizers might alter the nutrient turnover in soil. Our results showed that N-fertilizers could significantly alter the structure and activities of microbial communities, and appropriate N fertilization is necessary for improving the sustainability of rice cultivation.

Conservation agriculture (CA) entails resource sustainability, crop productivity and climate benefits. We assessed biological soil health index (BSHI) using both conventional and state-of-the-art indicators for a long-term rice wheat system under a regime of CA-practices in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). The practices include zero till direct seeded rice (ZTDSR)-zero till wheat (ZTW), ZTDSR + wheat residue (WR)-ZTW + rice residue (RR), ZTDSR + WR + sesbania brown manuring (SBM)-ZTW + RR, ZTDSR-ZTW-zero till mungbean (ZTMB), ZTDSR + mungbean residue (MR)-ZTW + RR-ZTMB + WR, transplanted rice (TPR)-conventional till wheat (CTW)-conventional till mungbean (CTMB). Collected soil samples (0-5 cm depth) were analysed for 8 labile organic carbon pools, 8 soil enzyme activities, population of 7 microbes viz., bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes, and two microbial functions. Further, abundance of different phylogenetic groups and nutrient cycling genes was quantified by molecular based qPCR technique. In general, triple/double ZT + crop residues caused an increase in most of the pools of carbon, enzymes, and microbial population including qPCR-led genes in soils. Specifically, inclusion of mungbean residues in triple ZT and sesbania brown manuring in double ZT improved nifH gene abundance over other double and triple ZT treatments. Of the analysed parameters, beta-glucosidase, Bacterial amoA, Archaeal 16S rRNA, Bacteroidetes 16S rRNA, Bacterial 16S rRNA, and mineralizable C were screened out as the key indicators of BSHI; its value was maximised under triple ZT with residues (ZTDSR + MR-ZTW + RR-ZTMB + WR) treatment. Attempt may be made to use the screened indicators for assessment of BSHI and upscale the identified practice for rice-wheat system in IGP.

Background The gut microbiome of honey bees significantly influences vital traits and metabolic processes, including digestion, detoxification, nutrient provision, development, and immunity. However, there is a limited information is available on the gut bacterial diversity of western honey bee populations in India. This study addresses the critical knowledge gap and outcome of which would benefit the beekeepers in India. Methods and results This study investigates the gut bacterial diversity in forager and hive bees of Indian Apis mellifera , employing both culture-based and culture-independent methods. In the culturable study, a distinct difference in gut bacterial alpha and beta diversity between forager and hive bees emerges. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria , and Actinobacteria dominate, with hive bees exhibiting a Firmicutes -rich gut (65%), while foragers showcase a higher proportion of Proteobacteria (37%). Lactobacillus in the hive bee foregut aligns with the findings by other researchers. Bacterial amplicon sequencing analysisreveals a more intricate bacterial composition with 18 identified phyla, expanding our understanding compared to culturable methods. Hive bees exhibit higher community richness and diversity, likely due to diverse diets and increased social interactions. The core microbiota includes Snodgrassella alvi, Gilliamella apicola , and Bombilactobacillus mellis and Lactobacillus helsingborgensis , crucial for digestion, metabolism, and pathogen resistance. The study emphasises bacteria’s role in pollen and nectar digestion, with specific groups like Lactobacillus and Bifidobobacterium spp. associated with carbohydrate metabolism and polysaccharide breakdown. These microbes aid in starch and sucrose digestion, releasing beneficial short-chain fatty acids. Conclusion This research highlights the intricate relationship between honey bees and their gut microbiota, showcasing how the diverse and complex microbiome helps bees overcome dietary challenges and enhances overall host health. Understanding these interactions contributes to bee ecology knowledge and has implications for honey bee health management, emphasising the need for further exploration and conservation efforts.

This study investigates A. mellifera gut microbiota diversity and enzymatic activities, aiming to utilize identified isolates for practical applications in sustainable crop residue management and soil health enhancement. This study sampled honey bees, analyzed gut bacterial diversity via 16S rRNA gene, and screened isolates for cellulolytic, hemicellulolytic, and pectinolytic activities, with subsequent assessment of enzymatic potential. The study reveals that cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic bacterial isolates, mainly from γ-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes, have significant potential for crop residue management. Some genera, like Aneurinibacillus, Bacillus, Clostridium, Enterobacter, Serratia, Stenotrophomonas, Apilactobacillus, Lysinibacillus, and Pseudomonas, are very good at breaking down cellulose and hemicellulase. Notable cellulose-degrading genera include Cedecea (1.390±0.57), Clostridium (1.360±0.86 U/mg), Enterobacter (1.493±1.10 U/mg), Klebsiella (1.380±2.03 U/mg), and Serratia (1.402±0.31 U/mg), while Aneurinibacillus (1.213±1.12 U/mg), Bacillus (3.119±0.55 U/mg), Enterobacter (1.042±0.14 U/mg), Serratia (1.589±0.05 U/mg), and Xanthomonas (1.156±0.08 U/mg) excel in hemicellulase activity. Specific isolates with high cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic activities are identified, highlighting their potential for crop residue management. The research explores gut bacterial compartmentalization in A. mellifera, emphasising gut physiology's role in cellulose and hemicellulose digestion. Pectinolytic activity is observed, particularly in the Bacillaceae clade (3.229±0.02), contributing to understanding the honey bee gut microbiome. The findings offer insights into microbiome diversity and enzymatic capabilities, with implications for biotechnological applications in sustainable crop residue management. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for ongoing research to uncover underlying mechanisms and ecological factors influencing gut microbiota, impacting honey bee health, colony dynamics, and advancements in crop residue management.

Acid sulphate soils are one of the most problematic soils in the world. Unless appropriately ameliorated, these soils are difficult to manage due to several constraints like high acidity and salinity, metal toxicity, nutrient unavailability, redox fluctuations, overlying sulfidic materials (pyrite), and other factors. The microbial-mediated processes related to nutrient cycling in these soils are complex and unique. Chemical methods to manage these soils have led to large changes in microbial dynamics and their activities, environmental disturbances, and even productivity declines. The growing demand for sustainable rice production in these soils necessitates the development of biologically relevant practices with positive environmental gains. The present review addresses the mechanisms involved in microbially mediated nutrient cycling and functional diversity among the microbial communities in acid sulphate soils. The challenges and opportunities for the biological management of these soils for paddy cultivation are also discussed. Future research on microbial metabolic processes, long-term effects of biological management, and sustainable cultivation methods can make effective use of these soil resources.

This study utilized cultivable methods and 16 S amplicon sequencing to compare taxonomic profiles and functional potential of gut bacteria in the scarab beetle, Anomola dimidiata, under cellulose-enriched conditions. Eight culturable cellulolytic gut bacteria were isolated from the midgut and hindgut of the scarab larvae, respectively. 16 S amplicon sequencing evinced that the most represented taxonomic profiles at phylum level in the fermentation chamber and midgut were Bacillota (71.62 and 56.76%), Pseudomonadota (22.66 and 36.89%) and Bacteroidota (2.7 and 2.81%). Bacillota (56.74 and 91.39%) were significantly enriched in the midgut with the addition of cellulose. In contrast, Bacillota and Psedomonadota were significantly enriched in the fermentation chamber. Carbohydrate metabolism was up-regulated in the midgut, while nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism were up-regulated in the fermentation chamber, suggesting these symbionts’ possible metabolic roles to the host. An analysis of total cellulases as well as amplicon sequence variants indicated that the gut bacteria belonging to Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Brucella, Brevibacillus, Enterobacter, Lysinibacillus and Paenibacillus are involved in nutrition provisioning. These results have provided additional insights into the gut bacteria associated with cellulose digestion in A. dimidiata and created a platform for bioprospecting novel isolates to produce biomolecules for biotechnological use, besides identifying eco-friendly targets for its management.

Rice-rice system is the foundation of food security in South Asian countries. Assessment of the quality and resilience of soil for sustaining productivity of the double rice system is extremely important under an impending climate change scenario. This study aims to evaluate the long-term effect of fertilization and manuring on the quality, resilience, and productivity of the soil. Samples were collected from 32-year-old long-term rice-rice cropping system situated at the Regional Rice Research Station of Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Titabar, Assam, from eight treatments, viz. control, 100

Abstract Cyanobacterial biofertilizers provide soil fertility and productivity gains at varying levels in rice cultivation. The influences of distinct soil types with the characteristic composition of native cyanobacteria on the colonization of introduced strains remain largely unknown. In this work, seven soil types with the composition of indigenous cyanobacteria described by amplicon sequencing were inoculated with the cyanobacterial biofertilizer. The cyanobacterial growth was evaluated under light-dark and continuous dark cycles using marker-gene-based assays. The copies of cyanobacterial-16S rRNA gene markers varied from 5.65 × 106 to 9.22 × 107 g− 1 soil, and their abundance increased significantly in the soils with inoculant. The soils of KAR (Karnal, Typic Natrustalf) and IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Typic Haplustepts) showed the highest abundances of cyanobacteria under both light-dark and continuous dark cycles on 15 days after incubation (DAI) and 30 DAI. On 30 DAI, the cyanophage population in the soils tested ranged from 3.04 × 108 to 9.24× 108 g− 1 soil. The beneficial marker traits of C- (cbbL) and N (nifH) cycles and overall microbial abundances (bacteria, archaea, cyanobacteria, and cyanophage) showed a strong and positive correlation with the soil inoculation. At the same time, those genes related to nitrification and denitrification were clustered more closely in the uninoculated soils. These results indicate the potential for cyanobacterial biofertilizers to improve microbial contribution, in a soil-specific way, to fertility gains.

Microalgae are a source of scientific curiosity and inspiration for their utilization as ‘inoculants’ in agriculture and the commercial production of high-value products.

Accidental discharge of crude oil due to rupturing of old oil pipelines and blasts in oil refineries leads to contamination of agricultural land/adjacent areas and changes in microbial community and protein expression in the contaminated soil. Our previous study identified a bacterial consortium (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MW532755+ Pseudomonas sp. MW444887) and a fungus (Aspergillus sydowii KY614299) with crude oil degrading ability. These microorganisms were used in the present investigation to degrade total petroleum hydrocarbon in naturally contaminated loamy soil (25% w/w) collected from the Assam region of India. The half-life of crude oil in uninoculated (T1), bacterial consortium (T2), and fungus-inoculated (T3) soils were 135.9, 47.5, and 58.2 days, respectively. The bacterial consortium and the fungus treatments altered the soil bacterial community and metabolic pathways, evidently from the analyses using metagenomics and predicted functional proteomics. The sequencing analysis using Ion Torrent showed the presence of 287 genera in the oil-polluted and treated soil samples. At the Genus level, abundances of Pseudomonas and Bacilli were observed, and the reads representing those of the Domain Bacteria for uninoculated (T1), bacterial consortium (T2), and fungus (T3) treated soils were 214525, 584054 and 489423, respectively. The predicted functional proteomics analysis for the protein-regulating genes, functional pathways, and protein families showed the presence of diversified pathways responsible for higher metabolic activities (q < 0.05). The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis showed that, compared to fungus treatment, bacterial consortium increased the abundance of 16S rRNA gene copies of Archaea, Alphaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes and also the gene copies of nitrogen cycling such as nifH (106 to 108) were highest, followed by nirK (104 to 108), amoA (104 to 105), and nirS (104 to 106)The present study suggested that the bacterial consortium as the hydrocarbon degraders was better than fungus and can be used in the future for oil remediation purposes.

The presence of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) in soils is becoming pervasive in most agroecosystems. The recent estimates suggest that the soil burden of MNPs in the agroecosystems is more than 0.5 megatons (Mt) annually. In all the agroecosystems, the transformation, migration, and transferring of MNPs, along with other contaminants, and the trophic transfer of MNPs can threaten the food web. MPs can exhibit negative and positive effects, or none, on the physical/chemical properties of soil, soil microbiota, invertebrates, and plant systems, depending on the polymer compositions, additives, and exposure time. Difficulties in comparing the studies on the effects of MNPs, as well as the discrepancies among them, are mostly due to variations in the methods followed for sampling, detection, quantification, and the categorization of particles, abundance, and exposure time. Since agricultural soils are important environmental reservoirs for diverse chemicals and contaminants, they provide milieus for several types of interactions of MNPs with soil biota. The present review critically examines the sources and transformation of MNPs in agricultural soils, the release and fate of additives, as well as their role as vectors of other potential contaminants and influence on soil physical/chemical properties, toxicities to soil biota (i.e., microorganisms, invertebrates, and plants), current regulatory guidelines for the mitigation of MNPs, and future research directions.

It is estimated that microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) contributes to 20%-50% of the total cost of corrosion. Biocides are often used to counter MIC. Normally, the choice of a biocide is based on planktonic kill studies as well as cost of the treatment chemicals. Sessile kill studies have significant advantages over planktonic studies but usually take 8 weeks to complete. Furthermore, both sessile kill and planktonic studies only provide phenomenological results and therefore do not explain the mechanisms. To bridge this gap, we have calculated spreading coefficient and work of adhesion from contact angle measurements as a tool for assessing the performance of a biocide. This novel method provides insights into how biocides interact with a biofilm on a surface and is quicker than sessile kill study. Based on surface energy calculations, we have identified parameters that will aide in the prediction of biofilm removal and prevention. For example, surfactants with a positive spreading coefficient on a substrate and having a stronger affinity for the substrate than the biofilm (i.e., a lower interfacial tension) are effective in biofilm prevention. On the other hand, surfactants with a low interfacial tension with a substrate are effective in biofilm removal. Given the diversity of surfaces to which bacteria attach (carbon steel, near wellbore, membrane, etc.), this rapid technique is a good prediction tool for the effectiveness of a biocide application. This paper will provide an overview of the technique and discuss some examples of surfactants that can be used for biofilm removal and prevention.

Landfarming, an aerobic, above-ground, engineered ex-situ bioremediation process, has been used globally since the 1970s for the remediation and restoration of sites impacted by diverse pollutants, principally petroleum hydrocarbons. One of the key actors in removing contaminants during landfarming is the microflora, mainly bacteria and fungi. However, despite the poor understanding of its microbial metabolic features, landfarming technology has become widespread. The present chapter provides an overview of the microbial aspects related to the diversity and composition, biostimulation and bioaugmentation for improving effectiveness, outcomes of recent field-scale studies, efficacy evaluation, and future research directions for the technological advances in landfarming.