What is biofertilizer

• In nature there are certain micro organisms and

minute plants, which can absorb gaseous form
of nitrogen directly from atmosphere and make
it available to plants in solid form. it is called as
bio fertilizers
• Biofertilizers are living micro organisms of
bacterial, fungal and algal origin. Their mode of
action differs and can be applied alone or in
combination
• Biofertilizers are ready to use live
formulates of such beneficial
microorganism which on application to
seed, root or soil mobilize the availability
of nutrients by their biological activity in
particular and help build up the micro flora
and in turn the soil health in general.
• The field of biological nitrogen fixation
opened up with the discoveries by
boussingault and hellreigelin 1886.
• Nobbe and hiltner produuced for the first
time a laboratory culture culture of rhizobia
under the name nitrogin in 1885
• Discovery of non symbiotic bacteria
such as azotobacter
• Then the discovery of third group called
blue green algae .subsquently
,microorganisms capable of solublising
phosphate were discovered
• In 1970 azospirillum was
identified.vesicular-arbuscular micorrhiza
which moblise the phosphorus
 Biofertilizer industry
• The early method of a application of
inoculum involved top dressing of a new
fields with a large quantity of soils
transported from places where the legume
grew well .this cubersomesome soil
transfer method was probably the reason
for the birth of the present inoculum
production industry
• Pure cultures of rhizobium growing on
solid medium and these were marketed in
8-10 ounces glass bottles. Then onwards
it has got sifnificant demands of present
day utilization of BNF technology in
agriculture
• In india ,development and production
activity of bio inoculants commenced in
the early sixties the production of blue
green algae started in 1970while that of
azolla began on a small scale in 1978
• Production was small scale confined to
agriculture universities
• In 1956 production of rhizobium culture
• Later government has made efforts to set
up natioinal biofertilizer development
centre (NBDC) at ghaziabad operative in
1988.sequently six RBDC
Production Statistics of Bio-Fertilizer
Units during 1997-98 & 1998-99

Capacity Production during Production during

S.No. PSU/Co-op. Units (TPA) 1997-98 (TPA) 1998-99 (TPA)

1 Manali 100 111.15 82.1

2 Vijayawada 150 102.31 87.3

3 MFL Bangalore 150 102.53 168.1

4 NFL Indore 100 99.59 173.83

0.35

5 PPCL Amjhore 75 10.8

6 KRIBHCO Hazira 100 167.96 250

7 IFFCO Phulpur 75 44.18 90.57

8 RCF Trombay 150 8.5 63.67

9 Durgapur 75 42.4 36.11

10 Barauni 75 1.81 19.27

11 Sindri 75 14.93 24.12

12 Namrup 75 0.21 8.89

13 Gwalior 75 - 3.28

14 Bhopal 75 - 5.92
15 HFC Cuttack # 150 - Nil

Total 1500 706.37 1013.51

 Objectives and activities of NBDC
• To ensure the production ,distribution and
promotion of the effective strain to
supplement nitrogenous fertilizers and to
improve N-use efficiency
• To maintain and make available of strains
to industries on demand
• To evolve standards to biofertilizers
• To organise regular training programmes
and field demonstrations
 TWO TYPES OF
BIOFERTILIZERS
• NITROGEN FIXING BIO-FERTILIZERS
• Rhizobium
• Actinorhize
• Azotobactor
• Azospirilum
• Blue green Algae
• Azolla
 Table 1: Estimated Total Potential
Demand for Bio-fertilizers in India

Category of Bio- Fertilizer Amount in Million tonnes

Rhizobium 35,730Mt
Azotobacter 162,610Mt
Azospirillum 77,160Mt.
BGA 267,510Mt
Phosphatesolubilizer 275,510Mt
TOTAL 818,730Mt
Source: Abhay Phadke, 2001
PHOSPHORUS SOLUBLISING
BIO-FERTILIZER
• Phosphobacteria is sold in polythene
pockets, this bacteria can convert
unavailable form of phosphorus into
available form by solublizing
• Mycrohiz is not technically feasible
and economically valuable
 Production of Azolla culture
• Standing water method
• 5-10cm depth of standing water
• 4.8kg of super phosphate is applied
• In 3 weeks carpet formation on the surface
of water
 New technique
• Recently university of agricultural sciences,
Bangalore has developed a method- dry complex
fertilizer for direct soil application. This method
consists of granules (1-2 mm)
made from tank bed clay (TBC). These granules are
baked at 2000C in a muffle furnace, which helps to
sterilize the material and gives porosity to granules.
The baked granules are soaked in a suspension of
nitrogen fixing bacteria grown in a suitable medium
overnight. The clay granules are air dried at room
temperature under aseptic conditions. The granules
contain more than a billion of bacteria per gram of
granules. These granules are suitable for field
application along with seeds and fertilizers in furrows.
 Commercial production of bio-
fertilizers
The manufacturing process
1 Selection of suitable strain of the organism
for which market demand is identified.
2 Mass multiplication.
3 Mixing of the culture with carrier material
and packing.
– How biofertilizers are applied to crops?
– Seed treatment:
200 g of nitrogenous biofertilizer and 200 g of
Phosphotika are suspended in 300-400 ml of water
and mixed thoroughly. Ten 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.
 Swot analysis
• Strengths
Cost effective.
Cheap source of nutrients
Suppliers of micro nutrients
Supplier of organic matter
 opportunities

 Counteracting negative impact of chemical

fertilizers
 Secretion of growth hormones
 Reduces the costs towards fertilizers use,
especially regarding nitrogen and
phosphorus.
 Eco-friendly (Friendly with nature)
 Supplement to fertilizers
 weakness
• we can’t reap the benefits all of sudden
• High level of contaminants
• packing material which reduces shelf life.
• Unsatisfactory carrier material with uniform and
consistent good quality comparable to imported
Unsatisfactory peat material.
• Not employing properly trained microbiologist.
• Lack of quality control and certification
procedures
 threats
. Presence of high native population or presence of
bacteriophages

Poor availability of phosphorous and molybdenum.

May have been exposed to high temperature. Used with
strong doses of plant protection chemicals.
High soil temperature or low soil moisture.
Acidity or alkalinity in soil.
Lack of quality control and certification procedures
Narrow genetic base of mother cultures and lack of
efficient and virulent strains suitable to various agro-
environments.
 New technique
• Recently university of agricultural sciences,
Bangalore has developed a method- dry complex
fertilizer for direct soil application. This method
consists of granules (1-2 mm)
made from tank bed clay (TBC). These granules are
baked at 2000C in a muffle furnace, which helps to
sterilize the material and gives porosity to granules.
The baked granules are soaked in a suspension of
nitrogen fixing bacteria grown in a suitable medium
overnight. The clay granules are air dried at room
temperature under aseptic conditions. The granules
contain more than a billion of bacteria per gram of
granules. These granules are suitable for field
application along with seeds and fertilizers in furrows.
• You can visit the following Internet sites:
http://www.ikisan.com/links/up_riceBiofertilizers.shtml#top

• http://www.entireindia.com/YellowPg/YpCatList.asp?s
=1159&cnm=Biofertilizers

• http://www.glsbiotech.com/products.htm#biofertilizers

• http://www.us.erc.org/greenchannel/gc7/innovativebiotechnologicalp
www.suvash.com

• http://www.kumarbuilders.com/bio.htm
 conclusion
• It is going to gain a lot of scope in the
future.biofertilizers and organic matter will
play a key role in achieving second green
revolution .