Biosurfactants for Sustainable Soil Management

Abstract Degradation of soil resources is a serious global environmental issue and it may be made worse by climate change. It is important that soils should be handled with a careful consideration for sustainable agricultural production using environmental friendly techniques. The use of the biosurfactants and also biosurfactants producing microorganisms to improve soil health and to bioremediate polluted soils is an emerging approach. This review is primarily focused on the use of biosurfactants produced by microorganisms and their application to restore soil health and improve agricultural production in a sustainable way. As a perspective of this review, it is proposed that future studies should explain how and when these approaches can be feasible in terms of production costs and availability of these compounds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review highlighting the potential applicability of biosurfactants and biosurfactants producing microorganisms for sustainable soil management.