Manure source distance and soil depth: a natural screening system for nutrient-solubilizing bacteria

This study demonstrates that intersecting manure- and soil-depth gradients form a powerful, predictable natural screening system for the targeted isolation of beneficial bacteria. This ecology-driven strategy effectively links microbial ecology to bioprospecting. It provides a curated library of isolates with defined ecological origins and a predictive framework for developing customized biofertilizers, thereby enhancing microbial resource mining efficiency and contributing to sustainable agriculture.