Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) are bacteria or fungi that are capable of breaking down insoluble forms of phosphorus, such as phosphates, in the soil and making it available to plants as a soluble form that can be easily absorbed (Figure 1) (Rawat et al., 2020). They are huge category of beneficial microbe including many genera for in stance Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Streptomyces spp., Aspergillus spp., Rhizobium spp. Fusarium spp., Trichoderma spp., Penicillium spp., Serratia spp., Micrococcus spp., Stenotrophomonas spp., Acinetobacter spp., and Agrobacterium spp. (Rodrı́guez and Fraga, 1999). This process increases the overall availability of phosphorus to plants, leading to improved plant growth and crop yields. PSMs are commonly found in soil and rhizosphere, and play an important role in nutrient cycling and soil fertility (Beheshti et al., 2022). PSMs have had several applications in biotechnology. For instance, in the pharmaceutical and food industries, PSMs are used to produce antibiotics, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds (Sekurova et al., 2019); furthermore, PSMs have the potential to play a role in the development of new and efficient bioprocesses for the sustainable production of biofuels and other bio-based products (Osanai et al., 2015). The most well-known uses of PMSs are in agricultural and environmental engineering. For their outstanding nature described above, PMS are used for improving soil fertility in agriculture, enhancing plant growth and tolerance against stress of instance salinity (Luo et al., 2022), nutrient deficiency (He et al., 2022; 2021; Chen et al., 2022a) etc.,; and hence increasing crop yields (Chen et al., 2022b); they can also be used for bioremediation along or combining with plants, to remove for instance heavy metals from contaminated soil and water (Pinilla et al., 2008; Chen et al., 2019a).

There is great potential and expectation for the future of PSMs in agriculture and environmental engineering. As the world’s population continues to grow, the demand for food and other resources will increase, putting pressure on the world’s finite resources, including phosphates. PSMs have the potential to help address this challenge by improving soil fertility and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers (Sarmah and Sarma, 2022; Tian et al., 2022).

PSMs are an emerging biotechnology tools in agriculture and environmental engineering, but the application is still in its early stages of development and not yet for commercialization. While there have been several studies demonstrating the potential of PSMs for enhancing plant growth, improving soil fertility, and detoxifying contaminated environments, much of the research is still in the laboratory or experimental stage (Chen et al., 2020; 2019b; Lai et al., 2022a).

There are several key challenges associated with the application of PSMs in crop fertilization and environmental engineering: 1) there is currently a lack of standardization in the production and application of PSMs as biofertilizers or soil remediation promoter, which can affect their efficacy and consistency; 2) PSMs are sensitive to soil conditions such as pH, salinity, and heavy metal toxicity, and may not be able to survive or function effectively in all soils; PSMs are often introduced into soil as suspensions or inoculants, but they may not persist in the soil for long periods of time, limiting their effectiveness over the long term; 3) PSMs may face competition from other microorganisms in the soil for nutrients and space, which can limit their ability to establish and grow in soil; 4) the production and application of PSMs as biofertilizers can be expensive, and the cost of this technology may be a barrier for widespread implementation in agriculture. These challenges highlight the need for further research to optimize the production and application of PSMs as biofertilizers, and to develop new and more cost-effective methods for enhancing soil fertility and crop productivity. Currently, high cost and competition from local microbe are the most important factors hindering PSMs commercialization and application.

There are several ways to reduce the cost of Phosphate Solubilizing Microorganisms (PSMs). Some of these were listed and interpreted below.

1) Mass production of PSMs: Mass production of PSMs using low-cost and efficient methods, such as fermentation, can help to reduce the cost of producing these microorganisms on a large scale.

To avoid competition with local soil microorganisms for instance plant pathogens, decomposer, predatory microorganisms et al, the following factors should be optimized in the application of PSMs.

1) Soil preparation: To enhance the survival and persistence of PSMs, the soil should be prepared prior to their introduction. This may involve amending the soil with organic matter, adjusting the pH, or reducing soil salinity levels.

Microbial ecology: Researchers are working to understand the interactions between PSMs and other soil microorganisms, and the role that PSMs play in soil health and fertility. This research includes the study of microbial competition and cooperation, as well as the development of methods for enhancing the survival and persistence of PSMs in the soil (Nacoon et al., 2020).

Metagenomics: Metagenomic were used to approaches the diversity and function of PSMs in soil, and to identify new PSMs with enhanced abilities for solubilizing phosphates and improving soil fertility.

Biostimulants: Researches were carried out to Investigate the use of PSMs and other microorganisms as biostimulants to enhance plant growth and productivity, as well as the ability of plants to cope with environmental stress (Yahya et al., 2022).

Synthetic biology: Researchers are developing new approaches for engineering PSMs to enhance their abilities for solubilizing phosphates and improving soil fertility. This includes the use of synthetic biology to produce new strains of PSMs with improved abilities, as well as the use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology to engineer existing PSMs (Liu et al., 2020).

Soil remediation: Researchers are investigating the use of PSMs for soil remediation, with a focus on removing heavy metals and other contaminants from contaminated soils (Song et al., 2022). This research includes the development of new methods for applying PSMs to contaminated soils, as well as the study of the mechanisms by which PSMs remove contaminants from soil.

In the future, it is expected that research into PSMs will continue to advance, with a focus on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of PSMs in solubilizing phosphates and promoting plant growth. This may involve the development of new strains of PSMs through synthetic biology and other techniques, as well as the optimization of existing PSMs for different environmental conditions and applications. In addition, it is expected that the use of PSMs will become increasingly widespread in agriculture and environmental engineering, as farmers and environmental engineers seek more sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions to the challenges posed by declining soil fertility and limited resources.