Bio-Inoculants in Forestry : Role of Microbes in Biological rejuvenation of Limestone Mined Spoils

Limestone mined out overburden dumps are quite inhospitable sites for plants growth. Natural regeneration on such nutrient poor substrate is very slow which may take several decades to develop a self sustained ecosystem. It is well known that microbes play very important role in restoration of soil fertility and development of suitable soil conditions for vegetation development. The microbes occurring natively on such harsh climate and are well adapted to that soil environment which might play a very significant role to accelerate restoration process on limestone mined spoils. A number of nursery experiments, laboratory assays and field experiments carried out using natively isolated beneficial microbes. This compilation speaks about the role of native microbial flora on soil restoration and plantation establishment on disturbed sites and reveals out that how the inoculation of native Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs) acts as catalyst in the natural regeneration process on the calcareous spoil. The compilation also suggests the application of native beneficial microbial flora as biofertilizer in restoration of limestone mine spoils.