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Biological nitrogen fixation and Biofertilizers-Types and advantages

Biofertilizers are carrier based preparations containing active strains of specific
microorganisms, which help in enhancing the soil fertility either by fixing atmospheric
N
2
, solubilization/ mineralization of ! " or decomposing organic wastes or by
augmenting plant growth through producing growth promoting substances with their
biological activities#
Biofertilizer $gents are classified as
1# N%fixer
2# %&olubilizer/'obilizer
(# )ompost $ccelerator
Biological N-Fixation:
*hat is Biological N
2
fixation+
,eduction of -initrogen .N
2
/ to N0
(
through biological means is termed as Biological
Nitrogen 1ixation2
*hy reduction of N
2
is necessary+
3hough atmosphere contains 456 of N, eu7aryotes cannot utilize the N directly,
unless it is reduced to N0
(
# -initrogen having triple bond and cannot be bro7en by higher
plants#
Broadly the BNF is divided into two groups
&ymbiotic
Non &ymbiotic
&ymbiotic Nitrogen fixation may be of three different types
8egume Rhizobium
)yanobacteria with plant/fungi
Frankia with trees
Non &ymbiotic Nitrogen 1ixation can be divided into another three groups based on the
oxygen re9uirements
$erobic free%living nitrogen fixation# example%Azotobacter,Bejeirinkia
'icroaerophillic , for example Azospirillum
$nerobic free living , for example Clostridium, Desulfovibrio etc#
:n all the BN1 system it is the nitogenase enzyme play crucial role in reducing
dinitrogen to ammonia
Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation
*hat is &ymbiosis+
$n intimate association between two different organisms for which the
coexistence is deemed to be mutually beneficial2
Rhizobium is symbiotic bacterium, occurs in the roots of different legumes !
pulses, produce nodules and fix atmospheric dinitrogen inside the nodules# 3his
Rhizobium present inside the nodule can be isolated and multiplied in laboratory #$fter
appropriate multiplication the Rhizobium is mixed with carrier material in aseptic
condition and used as biofertilizers for different pulse crops#
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Necessity of Rhizobium Biofertilizers
3hough ,hizobium occurs naturally in soil, but in most of the cases, either their
population is highly insufficient or ineffective for proper nodulation traits# 3he low p0 in
the North ;astern ,egion is not conducive for proper nodulation that limits the
,hizobium cells to survive in ade9uate numbers in free living state# <nder such situations
the legume crops need to be inoculated with specific strains of Rhizobium inoculants each
and every time#
The advantages of Rhizobium inoculation
8arge numbers of field trials conducted over the years in :ndia and abroad have
established that the crops inoculated with specific strains of Rhizobium benefits the crop
in many ways#
:ncreases crop yield by 1=%(=6
,educe )hemical fertilizer by >=6 8eave considerable residual N .(%?7g of per
bigha/ after the harvest of the legume crop#
Benefiting the succeeding crop
Benefit the companion crop if grown along with legume as inter crop
Based on the ability of Rhizobium to infect diverse leguminous crop @in
15(2,1red proposed the concept of )ross :noculation Aroup2# 3he cross inoculation
group refers a collection of leguminous species that develop nodules when exposed to
rhizobium, isolated from the nodules of any member of that particular group #
:n 15?1 $llen and $llen reported that the family leguminaceae comprise 4B?
genera and 15=== species of which B56 genera and 1C6 species were examined for
nodulation that resulted B16 genera 1B6 species could produce nodule#Dordan in 15?B
classified the Rhizobia into two groups based on
the growth pattern and
nif and nod genes location
:f growth is fast and nif ! nod genes locate in plasmid ,it is termed as Rhizobium
where as if slow growth and nif ! nod genes locate in chromosomes ,termed as
Bradyrhizobiumi
Non-Symbiotic Azospirillum and Azotobacter
Eut of sixteen 7nown elements, N play vital role in crop production# -ue to
intensive agriculture and inFudicious use of N through )hemical fertilizers Feopardize the
soil ecosystem# 3o sustain the fertility of soils, maintenance of appropriate N
2
fixing
microflora is very essential #:n this context, Azospirillum ! Azotobacter play significant
role as renewable nutrient source especially nitrogen in sustainable agricultural
production#
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Azospirillum biofertilizers is made of live cells of bacteria with microaerophillic
and free%living habitat# #Azospirillum biofertilizers can be used in crops# Being
microaerophillic in nature these bacteria perform better in medium heavy to heavy
textured soils# Azotobacter biofertilizers is a product containing high number of live
bacteria, which is aerobic, free living nitrogen fixer##Azotobacter biofertilizers can be
used in non%legume crops mostly grown under upland condition#
Azospirillum
:n 152>, one microaerophillic organisms having spiral shaped was isolated by
BeFeirinc7 and named as Spirillum lipoferum2 from grasses# Bec7ing demonstrated their
N%fixing ability in 15C(# But its importance in agriculture was not realized till 154C,
when -obereiner and -ay reisolated from different grasses# Based on morphology
,physiological and biochemical tests some of the strains were separated from the genus
&pirillum by 3arrand et al in 154? and renamed as $zospirillum with two species
Azospirillum lipoferum and Azospirillum brasilense # 3he distinguishing characters in
between these two species are
Azospirillum lipoferum having denitrification ability and re9uirements of
biotin for its multiplication
Azospirillum brasilense does not have these two characters
Azotobacter
BeFerinc7 ,15=1 first time isolated one aerobic N%fixing soil microorganisms and
termed as Azotobacter2#3his Azotobacter placed under the family Bacteriaceae2by
"rasilni7ov in 15>C#:n 15C= , Norris , replaced the family under the new name
$zotobacteriaceae# :n recent classification based on 1C& r,N$ ,the members of the
family marged with seudomonadales under the family seudomonadaceae 3ill now
there are six different species of the genus Azotobacter
*hat are the differentiating characters among the species of $zotobacter+
0omopolysaccharide roduction
o $zotobacter chroccum,$zotobacter beFeirin7ii and $zotobacter nigricans
produce diffusible homopolyssacharides from sucrose and raffinose
o $zotobacter armenicus produce polyssacharide from sucrose only
igmentation
o $zotobacter chrococcum produce blac7 brown pigments
o $zotobacter armenicus produce yellow pigments
o $zotobacter beFeirin7ii produce light yellow pigments
o $zotobacter paspali produce red to violet
Benefits of Azospirillum and Azotobacter inoculants
Benefits the crops by 1>%2> 7g of N/ha/&eason
Arain yield is increased by 1=%2=6
B
Gegetative growth and leaf yield increased by 1=%(=6
&ecretes growth promoting and antibiotic li7e substances
)an supplement >=6 of nitrogenous fertilizer re9uirement by the crop
!luconacetobacter:
Aluconacetobacter diazotrophicus is an endophyte bacterium first isolated from
the sugarcane growing regions of Brazil# :t was widely studied and used as a model
system to assess the bacterial endophyte@ plant interactions# $fter its first discovery, it
was reported from variety of crops viz, coffee, ragi , pineapple and a latest report states
Aluconacetobacter sp# $s a natural colonizer of the wild rice and a salt tolerant o7ali
rice variety # 3hese reports clearly indicated the wide occurrence of A# diazotrophicus in
different plants #Besides N fixation this bacteria also producing different plant growth
promoting substances#By application of this organisms , the chemical fertilizer can be
reduced to about >=6#
"hosphate Solubilizing #icroorganisms
*hat are the :mportance of %&olubilizing 'icroorganisms
hosphorus ./ is one of the maFor essential macronutrients limiting plant
growth owing to its low bioavailability in soils#
1ertilizer tends to be fixed soon after application and becomes mostly
unavailable, resulting in low recovery by crops and a considerable
1ixation in soils
'icroorganisms able to solubilize and mineralize pools in soils are
considered to be vital#
Bacteria are the predominant microorganisms that solubilize mineral in
soils, as well as mineralize the Erganic #
Bacillus ! seudomonas are two maFor genera of hosphate &olubilizing
Bacteria# $spergillus and enicillium are belongs to fungi#
'echanisms of :norganic %&olubilizition
3he main mechanism of inorganic solubilization is through a decrease in p0
$nother mechanism is by secretion of Erganic acids such as Exalic/ropionic/
1umeric /Aluconic/$cetic/)itric/H%"etogluconic acid#
Ether compounds such as )E
2
,0
2
&, 0umic &ubstances etc#
!r"anic acid due to its dissociation, the !r"anic #Anions$ make stron" comple% &ith
Ca'Al'Fe and release phosphate into solution( !r"anic Cation such as )
*
make comple%
&ith phosphate and may release into solution
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