What Is Bio-Fertilizer & How Does It Work?

Bio-fertilizers are live or dormant cells of microorganisms that aid plant growth when they interact with seeds or plants in the rhizosphere when they are sown or transplanted. The use of bio-fertilizers increases soil fertility by providing it with nutrients. By converting ambient nitrogen fixes, phosphorus-soluble substances, and plant growth-promoting chemicals into bio-fertilizers, bio-fertilizers provide nutrients to plants.

In the current environment of soaring agricultural commodity prices, bio-fertilizers play a critical role in agricultural output. An appropriate strain of microorganisms is necessary for the production of biological fertilizer, economic purposes, and substantial results.

As a result of biological nitrogen fixation, these bio-fertilizers increase crop yields and soil health when applied to seeds, seedlings, plants, or soil. In addition, they produce capsular polysaccharides which prevent soil erosion. They also break down immobilized compounds into soluble forms that plants can use. A biofertilizer is superior to a chemical fertilizer in terms of its effectiveness.

Live bacteria and microorganisms are used in biological fertilizers to improve soil fertility and plant growth. These bacteria contribute to the nitrogen fixation process, which produces plant nutrients.

Use Of Bio-Fertilizers In Agriculture 

Bio-fertilizers in agriculture are moving away from organic farming’s idea of using only organic materials. These are essential elements of organic farming. When combined with organic, nutrient-rich fertilizers, plants and soil offer a healthy growth environment that will last for future growing seasons.

Due to biofertilizers, biofertilizers, plant resilience to pests and some abiotic stresses such as drought, excess water, and extreme temperature fluctuations. Plants require natural protection from external threats and limiting circumstances to grow and develop well, thus minimizing the need for traditional, artificial fertilizers and pesticides.

Indefinite chemical inputs result in soil contamination, runoff pollution, and ultimately the destruction of healthy soil. As a result, traditional nutrients and pesticides are being restricted, and organic changes are being made to help regenerate and preserve soil health, and increase plant growth and agricultural production.

In recent years, the demand for bio-fertilizers has steadily increased. Despite this high demand, bio-fertilizers are not readily available due to escalating food production, problems with bio-fertilizer manufacturing, and lack of appropriate storage facilities, requiring more bio-fertilizers to be developed. In addition to their long shelf life and easy use, bio-fertilizers are inexpensive and do not pollute the environment.

Benefits of Using Bio-fertilizers 

Use of bio-fertilizers has the following advantages:

• Bio-fertilizers are both ecologically and economically advantageous.
• Through their application, the soil is nourished and its quality is improved over time.
• The long-term outcomes are outstanding, despite the fact that they do not provide immediate benefits.
• Fertilizers such as these take nitrogen from the environment and deliver it directly to plants.
• The release of both soluble and inaccessible phosphorus increases the amount of phosphorus in the soil.
• The development of hormones in bio-fertilizers facilitates root proliferation.
• Microorganisms transform complex nutrients into basic nutrients for plants.
• Fertilizers containing microorganisms are crucial for ensuring proper nutrition and growth.
• A 10% to 25% increase in crop output can be achieved with them.
• Plants can be protected against soil-borne illnesses to some extent with bio-fertilizers.

Bio-fertilizers are microorganisms derived from bacteria, fungi, or algae. It is a unique method and can be combined with other methods to maximize results.

Bio-fertilizers fix nitrogen and legume crops in the soil through their roots and make them available to plants. The process converts insoluble phosphates, such as tricalcium, iron, and aluminum phosphate, into soluble forms.

Soil phosphate is scavenged from the surface. Hormones and antimetabolites are produced, which promote root growth. By dissolving organic material, they help the soil to create minerals.

Bio-fertilizers increase yields by 10 to 25% while increasing nutrient availability.

Agricultural yields increase as a result. As with regular chemical fertilizers, bio-fertilizers promote plant growth and enhance crop yields. As opposed to bio-fertilizers, which increase crop production, the latter enhances soil health. In order to sustain the soil’s natural fertility, bio-fertilizers, which are chemical-free, can be very beneficial.

It is easy to access and comparatively inexpensive to use bio-fertilizers. Farmers with low incomes can use this organic product to maintain optimal crop yields. In addition, these materials are easy to apply because they are similar to other types of input goods used by farmers, such as chemical fertilizers. Bio-fertilizers, on the other hand, are not traditional fertilizers.

Bio-fertilizers’ ingredients help plants cope with abiotic stresses, such as drought, extreme cold, excess or shortage of water, and salty soil. As a result, plants are more resilient to abiotic stress. Abiotic stress tolerance is improved with bio-fertilizers, and optimum growth rates are more likely to be maintained. The growing demand for agricultural products allows farmers to feed their families and to sustain crop yields since plants flourish in limited environments.