Microbes as Biofertilizers, a Potential Approach for Sustainable Crop Production
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Types of Biofertilizers
2.1. Nitrogen Fixing Biofertilizers
2.1.1. The Rhizobium
2.1.2. Azotobacter
2.1.3. Azospirillum
2.1.4. Anabaena Azollae
2.1.5. Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
2.2. Phosphate Solubilizing and Mobilizing Biofertilizers
2.2.1. Mycorrhiza
2.2.2. Endomycorrhiza or VAM Fungi
2.3. Potassium Solubilizing and Mobilizing Biofertilizers
2.4. Sulfur Oxidizing Biofertilizers
2.5. Zinc Solubilizing Biofertilizers
2.6. Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR)
3. The Potential and Suitability of Biofertilizers for Crops
4. Biofertilizers: A Hero or a Villain in the Field
5. Potential of Biofertilizers in Agriculture Market
6. Limitations in the Production of Biofertilizers
7. Conclusions and Prospects
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Biofertilizers | Mechanism | Groups | Examples | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nitrogen fixing | Increase soil nitrogen content by fixing atmospheric N and make it available to the plants | Free-living | Azotobacter, Anabaena, Clostridium, Aulosira Bejerinkia, Nostoc, Klebsiella, Stigonema, Desulfovibrio, Rhodospirillum, and Rhodopseudomonas | [15] |
Symbiotic | Rhizobium, Frankia, Anabaena azollae, and Trichodesmium | |||
Associative symbiotic | Azospirillum spp., Herbaspirillum spp., Alcaligenes, Enterobacter, Azoarcus spp. Acetobacter diazotrophicus | |||
Phosphorus solubilizing | Solubilize the insoluble forms of P in the soil into soluble forms by secreting organic acids and lowering soil pH to dissolve bound phosphates | Bacteria | Bacillus circulans, B subtilis, Pseudomonas striata, Penicillium spp. B. polymyxa Microccocus Agrobacterium, Aereobacter and Flavobacterium | [16] |
Fungi | Penicillum spp., Aspergillus awamori and Trichoderma | |||
Phosphorus mobilizing | Transfer phosphorus from the soil to the root cortex. These are broad spectrum bio-fertilizers. | Mycorrhiza | Arbuscular mycorrhiza, Glomus spp., Gigaspora spp., Acaulospora spp., Scutellospora spp., and Sclerocystis spp. | [17] |
Potassium solubilizing | Solubilize potassium (silicates) by producing organic acids that decompose silicates and help in the removal of metal ions and make it available to plants. | Bacteria | Bacillus. mucilaginosus, B. circulanscan, B. edaphicus, and Arthrobacter spp. | [18] |
Fungi | Aspergillus niger. | |||
Potassium mobilizing | They mobilize the inaccessible forms of potassium in the soil. | Bacteria | Bacillus spp. | [19] |
Fungi | Aspergillus niger. | |||
Micronutrient | Oxidizing sulfur to sulfates which are usable by plants. | Sulfur oxidizing | Thiobacillus spp. | [20] |
Solubilize the zinc by proton, chelated ligands, acidification, and by oxidoreductive systems. | Zinc solubilizing | Mycorhiza Pseudomonas spp., and Bacillus spp. | [21] | |
Plant growth Promoting | Produce hormones that promote root growth, improve nutrient availability, and improve crop yield | Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria | Pseudomonas spp. Agrobacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Arthrobacter, Erwinia, Bacillus, Rhizobium, Enterobacter, Streptomyces, and Xanthomonas | [22] |
Biofertilizers | Substitutes/Ha/Year |
---|---|
Rhizobium | 50–100 kg N |
Azolla | 9.2–18.4 kg N |
Azospirillum | 27.6 kg N (maize) |
Blue Green Algae | 24.8–29.9 kg N |
Frankia | 89.7 kg N |
Biofertilizer | Function | Crops | References |
---|---|---|---|
Rhizobium (symbiotic) | Fixes 200–300 kg N/ha/year | Pea, pulses legumes, cow pea, green gram, black gram, groundnut, soyabean, berseem, wheat, jowar, bajra, maize | [27,154] |
Increases yield up to 10–30% | |||
Maintain soil fertility | |||
Azotobacter | Supplies 20–40 kg N/ha/year | Mustard, sunflower, banana, sugarcane, grapes, papaya, watermelon, tomato, chilly, lady finger, coconut | [5,155,156] |
Promote growth substances such as vitamins, IAA, gibberellic acids. | |||
Increase yield up to 10–15% | |||
Maintain soil fertility | |||
Azospirillum | Fixes 20–160 kg N/ha /year | Rice, sugarcane, millet, wheat, sorghum, bajra | [85,157] |
Increase water and mineral uptake | |||
Production of plant hormones | |||
Enhance root growth | |||
Increase crop yield | |||
Blue-green algae | Fixes 20–40 kg N/ha/year | Rice | [59] |
Promote growth substances such as vitamins, IAA, Gibberelic acids | |||
Azolla | Fixes 30–60 kg N/ha/year | Rice | [158] |
Used as green manure | |||
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (symbiotic) | Increase root absorption area for nutrient access | Soybean, wheat, and corn | [159] |
Fixes phosphate | |||
Increase crop yield | |||
Pseudomonas | Production of siderophores and plant hormones | Potato, reddish, sugar beat | [160] |
Fixes phosphate | |||
Increase crop yield | |||
Bacillus spp. | Solubilize the phosphate and fix the nitrogen in soil | Many vegetables and fruits | [161,162] |
Synthesis of growth hormones | |||
Production of antibiotics | |||
Increase crop yield |
Biofertilizers | Chlorophyll | N | P | K |
mg/100 gm | ||||
PSB | 43.41 b | 2269 b | 273.5 b | 1201.1 b |
Trichoderma | 43.35 b | 2295 b | 266.2 c | 1176.3 c |
PSB + fungi | 44.12 a | 2315 a | 299.8 a | 1232.1 a |
Control | 43.22 b | 2167 c | 264.9 c | 1199.8 b |
Biofertilizers | Grain Yield (kg/ha) | Pod Number Per Plant | Fertile Pod Per Plant | |
PSB | 1756.1 c | 39.72 b | 25.84 c | |
Trichoderma | 1866.2 b | 40.79 b | 27.41 b | |
PSB + fungi | 2560.3 b | 57.66 a | 35.07 a | |
Control | 1310.7 d | 30.83 c | 20.73 d |
Constraints/Limitations | Recommendations | |
---|---|---|
Technical constraints | Unavailability of suitable carrier material | Identification and selection of appropriate economic carrier to maintain shelf life and effectiveness of biofertilizers. |
Skilled staff should be hire and manpower should be trained via proper training. | ||
Lack of skilled staff in production units | Frequent monitoring of the biofertilizer production units for quality assurance | |
Marketing constraints | Lack of regulation and standards for biofertilizer | Necessary legislation for monitoring biofertilizers should be done by government. |
Limited transportation and storage facilities | ||
Poor and incomplete labeling of biofertilizer products | Proper labeling of biofertilizers should be done (giving genus name, viable count, and expiry date, etc.) | |
Lack of promotion network and publicity among the end users. | Wide publicity of biofertilizers should be done through scientific training, fairs, exhibitions, or media. | |
Biological constraints | Unavailability of appropriate strain Tendency of strain to mutate during fermentation. | Continuous efforts for identification of strains and screening for their efficiency across the type of soil, agro-climatic conditions, and farming situations is recommended. |
Nonavailability of right inoculant at the right place at the right time | Standardization of biofertilizer dose in a particular crop and soil. | |
Understanding on strain effectiveness should be strengthened through extensive research in this field | ||
Field-level constraints | Soil conditions like acidity, presence of salts and toxic elements in the soil, and extreme climatic conditions may make the results of biofertilizers inconsistent. | It is needed to strengthen the research and technologies to reduce effects and to counteract stated soil and environmental conditions. |
Inadequate awareness among the farming community about bio-inoculants | A strong training and awareness program may be initiated to aware and motivate farmers. | |
Financial constraints | Nonavailability of sufficient funds and equipment from government and private bodies. | Use of high-tech equipment is required for quality products. |
Government should provide funding and loans for development of production units. |
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Nosheen, S.; Ajmal, I.; Song, Y. Microbes as Biofertilizers, a Potential Approach for Sustainable Crop Production. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1868. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041868
Nosheen S, Ajmal I, Song Y. Microbes as Biofertilizers, a Potential Approach for Sustainable Crop Production. Sustainability. 2021; 13(4):1868. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041868
Chicago/Turabian StyleNosheen, Shaista, Iqra Ajmal, and Yuanda Song. 2021. "Microbes as Biofertilizers, a Potential Approach for Sustainable Crop Production" Sustainability 13, no. 4: 1868. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041868