New Organic Fertilizers

Biofertilizers: Definition, Types, Benefits, and Uses in Sustainable Agriculture

The fertilizers of biological origin that don’t contain any chemicals detrimental to the living soil are called biofertilizers. These eco-friendly fertilizers play a crucial role in organic farming and sustainable agriculture.

A number of biofertilizers are being used in crop fields for increasing agricultural productivity. They are extremely beneficial in enriching the soil with micro-organisms that produce organic nutrients and help combat plant diseases.

It is due to the application of biofertilizers that farm produce does not contain traces of hazardous and poisonous materials. Thus, these products are accepted across the world as organic products. Hence, the application of biofertilizers is essential for organic farming.

Examples of Biofertilizers

Biofertilizers for Nitrogen Fixation

• (i) Rhizobium for legume crops
• (ii) Azotobacter / Azospirillum for non-legume crops
• (iii) Acetobacter for sugarcane
• (iv) Blue-Green Algae (BGA) and Azolla for lowland paddy

Biofertilizers for Phosphorus

• Phosphatika for all crops (to be applied with Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, and Acetobacter)

Biofertilizers for Enriched Compost

• (i) Cellulolytic fungal culture
• (ii) Phosphotika and Azotobacter culture

Common Types of Biofertilizers Used in Agriculture

1. Phospho Biofertilizers

This type of biofertilizer releases insoluble phosphorus in the soil and fixes it in clay minerals, which are of great agricultural significance.

2. Rhizobium Culture

Rhizobium bacterial culture plays an important role in agriculture by inducing nitrogen-fixing nodules on the roots of legumes such as peas, beans, clover, and alfalfa.

3. Azotobacter

Azotobacter is a soil-dwelling bacterial species that helps fix atmospheric nitrogen and makes it available to plants. Since the atmosphere contains 78% nitrogen, this process is vital for plant growth. It also protects plant roots from harmful soil pathogens.

4. Trichoderma

Trichoderma is a non-pathogenic fungal species and an eco-friendly biofertilizer. It acts as an antagonistic and hyper-parasitic agent against various plant pathogens and is widely used as a biocontrol agent.

5. Composter (Decomposing Culture)

A combination of decomposing microorganisms, composter breaks down organic matter such as dead plants, farmyard waste, and cattle waste, thereby increasing soil productivity.

6. Tricho-Card

Trichogramma is an effective destroyer of eggs of leaf eaters, flower eaters, stem borers, fruit borers, and shoot borers. It is widely used in crops like sugarcane, cotton, brinjal, tomato, corn, jowar, vegetables, citrus, and paddy.

7. Vermicompost

Vermicompost is prepared through the biological decomposition of biodegradable waste using earthworms. It is a 100% eco-friendly organic fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon, sulphur, hormones, vitamins, enzymes, and antibiotics. It improves both the quality and quantity of crop yield and helps restore soil health affected by excessive chemical fertilizers.

8. Biocompost

Biocompost is prepared from sugar industry waste and enriched with beneficial microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. It contains nitrogen, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, and useful fungi that enhance soil fertility.

Benefits of Biofertilizers and Organic Fertilizers

• Increases crop yield by 20–30%
• Helps replace chemical nitrogen and phosphorus by up to 25%
• Stimulates plant growth naturally
• Activates soil biologically
• Restores natural soil fertility
• Provides protection against drought and soil-borne diseases