BIOFERTILIZERS

Biofertilizer is a substance which contains living microorganisms which, when applied to seed, plant surfaces, or soil, colonizes the rhizosphere or the interior of the plant and promotes growth by increasing the supply or availability of primary nutrients to the host plant. Biofertilizers add nutrients through the natural processes of Nitrogen fixation , solubilizing phosphorus, and stimulating plant growth through the synthesis of growth promoting substances. Biofertilizers can be expected to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The microorganisms in biofertilizers restore the soil's natural nutrient cycle and build soil organic matter. Through the use of biofertilizers, healthy plants can be grown while enhancing the sustainability and the health of soil. Since they play several roles, a preferred scientific term for such beneficial bacteria is plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR]. Therefore, they are extremely advantageous in enriching the soil fertility and fulfilling the plant nutrient requirements by supplying the organic nutrients through microorganism and their byproduct. Hence, biofertilizers do not contain any chemicals which are harmful to the living soil. Biofertilizers are Eco-friendly organic agro-input and more cost effective than chemical fertilizers. Biofertilizers like Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum and blue green algae (BGA) are in use since long time ago. Rhizobiuminoculant is used for leguminous crops. Azotobacter can be used with crops like wheat, maize, mustard, cotton, potato and other vegetable crops. Azospirillum inoculants are recommended mainly for sorghum, millets, maize, sugarcane and wheat. Blue green algae belonging to genera Nostoc, Anabaena, Tolypothrix and Aulosira fix atmospheric nitrogen and are used as inoculants for paddy crop grown both under upland and low land conditions. Anabaena in association with water fern Azolla contributes nitrogen up to 60 Kg/ha/season and also enriches soils with organic matter Other types of bacteria, so-called phosphate solubilizing bacteria like Pantoea agglomerans strain P5, and Pseudomonas putida strain P13 are able to solubilize the insoluble phosphate from organic and inorganic phosphate source  . In fact, due to immobilization of phosphate by mineral ions such as Fe, Al and Ca or organic acids, the rate of available phosphate (Pi) in soil is well below plant needs. In addition, chemical Pi fertilizer are also immobilized in the soil immediately so that less than 20 percent of added fertilizer is absorbed by plants. Therefore, reduction in Pi resources, on one hand, and environmental pollutions resulted from both production and applications of chemical Pi fertilizer, on the other hand, have already demanded the use of new generation of phosphate fertilizers globally known as phosphate solubilizing bacteria or phosphate biofertilizers.

Advantages of Biofertilizers

Cost effective relative to chemical fertilizer and reduces the costs towards fertilizers use, especially regarding nitrogen and phosphorus. It is environmentally friendly fertilizer that not only prevents damaging the natural source but helps to some extend clean the nature from precipitated chemical fertilizer.