https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3405-8409
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ABSTRACT
Fruit crops offer a strong sink for sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, thereby, aid in moderating the impact of climate change-related issues, besides creating a parallel nutrient sink. Mere annual application of organic manures/composts has failed to address different soil fertility functions due to failure to prolong the impact of soil organic pool on long-term basis. The paradigm shifts from purely inorganic to either organic fertilizers or in combination with chemical fertilizers and microbial inoculants (preferably in consortium mode) started gaining wide scale use for enhanced soil health vis-à-vis elevated quality production and reduced rhizosphere CO2 emmission. This change of concept later formed the basis for Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM)-based strategy involving three basic components viz., microbial inoculants (biofertilizers), inorganic fertilizers, and organic fertilizers. Development of microbial consortium exploiting the microbial synergisms with variety of fruit crops as an important component of ISFM is one of the popular methods of managing multiple soil fertility constraints occurring within the rhizosphere. Further advancements in rhizosphere-specific consortia (often by scaling up crop-microbiome) mediated ISFM could further fulfil the nutrient demand and supply by crop. Upscaling such studies through rhizosphere hybridization has provided some initial inroads in harnessing the potential of different rhizosphere microbial communities. ISFM studies carried out in fruit crops in India, Iran, and China showed better agronomic response and soil health-related properties, considered very close to climate-resilient soil fertility management, a gateway to sustainable quality production. The review also highlights the future directions for ISFM in fruit crops catering to their multiple requirements.