Biofertilizers

After the introduction of chemical fertilizers in the last century, farmers were happy of
getting increased yield in agriculture in the beginning.

But slowly chemical fertilizers started displaying their ill-effects such as

 Leaching out

 polluting water basins

 destroying micro-organisms and friendly insects

 making the crop more susceptible to the attack of diseases

 reducing the soil fertility and thus causing irreparable damage to the overall
system.

A number of intellectuals throughout the world started working on the alternatives. They
found that biofertilizers can help in increasing the yield without causing the damage
associated with chemical fertilizers.

What is biofertilizer?

Bio fertilizer is a substance which contains living microorganisms which, when applied to
seeds, plant surfaces, or soil, colonize the rhizosphere or the interior of the plant and
promotes growth by increasing the supply or availability of primary nutrients to the host
plant.

Bio-fertilizers add nutrients through the natural processes of nitrogen fixation,

solubilizing phosphorus, and stimulating plant growth through the synthesis of growth-
promoting substances. Bio-fertilizers improve soil fertility and enhance nutrient uptake
and water uptake in deficient soils, thereby aiding in better establishment of plants. Bio-
fertilizers also secrete growth substances and antifungal chemicals, as well as improve seed
germination and root growth. Bio-fertilizer can be expected to reduce the use of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides.

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Since they play several roles, a preferred scientific term for such beneficial bacteria is
"plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria" (PGPR). Hence, bio-fertilizers do not contain
any chemicals which are harmful to the living soil. Bio-fertilizers such
as Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirilium and blue green algae (BGA) have been in use a
long time.

Types of biofertilizers

1. Bacterial

Symbiotic nitrogen fixers

 Rhizobium, Azospirillum spp

Free living nitrogen fixers

 Azotobacter, Klebsiella etc

2. Fungal

 Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (VAM)

3. Algal

 BGA in association with Azolla

 Anabena, Nostoc, Ocillatoria

4. Aquatic fern

4. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria

 Pseudomonas, Bacillus megaterium

5. Earthworms

1. Bacterial biofertilizers

The live cells of bacteria used as a biofertilizers These microbes contains genes termed
nif genes which make them capable of fixing nitrogen. Two groups of microorganisms
are involved in this process: nonsymbiotic microorganisms, those living freely and
independently in the soil; and symbiotic microorganisms, those living in roots of plants.

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Symbiotic bacteria

i. Rhizobium:

Rhizobium lives in the root hairs of the legumes like pulses, groundnut, soybean by
forming root nodules. Plant root supply essential minerals and newly synthesized
substance to the bacteria.

ii. Azospirillum:

It mainly present in non-leguminous plants like maize, barley, oats, sorghum, millet,
Sugarcane, rice etc. Azospirillum inhabits both root cells as well as surrounding of roots
forming symbiotic relation and increasing nitrogen fixing potential of the cereal plant.

Free living bacteria

Large number of free living or non -symbiotic bacteria (does not form nodules but
makes association by living in the rhizosphere) are present in soil and able to fix nitrogen.
Commonly used free living bacteria are Azotobacter, Klebsiella.

Azotobacter

Azotobactor is a heterotrophic free living nitrogen fixing bacteria present in alkaline and
neutral soils. Apart from its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in soils, it can also
synthesize growth promoting substances such as auxins and gibberellins and also to some
extent the vitamins. Many strains of Azotobactor also exhibit fungicidal properties against
certain species of fungus.

2. Fungal biofertilizer

The term mycorrhiza was taken from Greek language meaning 'fungus root'. The
mycorrhiza is a mutualistic association between fungal mycelia and plant roots. VAM is
an endotrophic (live inside) mycorrhiza formed by aseptated phycomycetous fungi. They
posses vesicles (sac like structure) for storage of nutrients and arbuscular for moving them

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into root system. VAM help in nutrient transfer mainly of phosphorus, zinc and sulfur
and retaining moisture around the root zone of plants.

3. Algal Biofertilizer

Advantages

A bio-fertilizer provides the following benefits -

1. Bio fertilizers help to increase yield of crops (20-30%) by making the soil rich with
nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorous etc) and beneficial microorganisms
necessary for the growth of the plants.
2. Bio fertilizers have replaced the chemical fertilizers.
3. Bio fertilizers destroy those harmful components from the soil which cause
diseases in the plants. Plants can also be protected against drought and other strict
conditions by using bio-fertilizers.
4. Bio-fertilizers are cost-effective relative to chemical fertilizers.
5. They are environment friendly and protect the environment against pollutants.

Disadvantages

Though the biofertilizer technology is a low cost, ecofriendly technology, several

constraints limit the application or implementation of the technology. These include -

 Short life span of biofertilizers

 Lack of facility for cold storage of inoculants
 Seasonal demand for biofertilizers
 Soil characteristics like salinity, acidity, drought, water logging, etc
 Unawareness of farmers to advantages of biofertilizers.

Application of biofertilizers to crops

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There are various methods for the application of biofertilizers to crops. These include -

 Seed treatment: 200 g of nitrogenous biofertilizer and 200 g of Phosphotika are

suspended in 300-400 ml of water and mixed thoroughly. 10 kg seeds are treated with
this paste and dried in shade. The treated seeds have to be sown as soon as possible.
 Seedling root dip: For rice crop, a bed is made in the field and filled with water.
Recommended biofertilizers are mixed in this water and the roots of seedlings are dipped
for 8-10 hrs.
 Soil treatment: 4 kg each of the recommended biofertilizers are mixed in 200 kg of
compost and kept overnight. This mixture is incorporated in the soil at the time of sowing
or planting.

Precautions to take while using biofertilizers

 Biofertilizer packets need to be stored in cool and dry place away from direct
sunlight and heat.

 Right combinations of biofertilizers have to be used.

 As Rhizobium is crop specific, one should use for the specified crop only.

 Other chemicals should not be mixed with the biofertilizers.

 While purchasing one should ensure that each packet is provided with necessary
information like name of the product, name of the crop for which intended, name
and address of the manufacturer, date of manufacture, date of expiry, batch
number and instructions for use.
 The packet has to be used before its expiry, only for the specified crop and by the
recommended method of application.

 Both nitrogenous and phosphatic biofertilizers are to be used to get the best
results.

 It is important to use biofertilizers along with chemical fertilizers and organic

manures. Biofertilizers are not replacement of fertilizers but can supplement plant
nutrient requirements.

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Symbiotic nitrogen fixation is accomplished by bacteria of the genus Rhizobium in
association with legumes (plants that bear seeds in pods, e.g., soybeans, peas etc). Before
these bacteria can fix nitrogen, they must establish themselves in the cells of root tissue of
the host plant. Infection of the root system by the rhizobia bacteria is closely associated
with the formation of an "infection thread" that develops in certain root hairs. The cells of
the plant are thus infected, causing cell enlargement and an increased rate of cell division,
leading to the formation of abnormal growths (nodules) on the root system.

https://www.slideshare.net/sunilsahoo1986/biofertilizers-presentation

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