This is an interesting write up and 37min audio clip on minimizing fertilizer use and increasing crop yields in farming through the introduction of specific soil microbes. 5x increase in yields for rice in a greenhouse, 3-4x increase in cassava in the fields. Basically the exact opposite of fertilizers, pesticides, and spraying copper sulphate which has rendered large swaths of wine growing regions toxic to soil microbes.
http://www.ediblegeography.com/gastropod-the-microbe-revolution/