Microbial fertilizers-promising partner for sustainable agriculture
Asif Waratadar, Arun YP, Suryawanshi Madhuri, P Mehboobatabassum FH and Hirudhaya Ravi
Post green revolution era found significant increase in agricultural productivity. The high yielding varieties and chemical fertilizers share the combined credit of increased productivity. The use of chemical fertilizers gradually alarmed the negative impact of its residual effect on human health. Use of microorganisms as bio fertilizers in agriculture is most viable alternative for sustainable agriculture and human health to reduce the adverse the effect of chemical fertilizers. The rhizospheric micro biota tends to increase the plant nutrient uptake and activate the signaling mechanisms in plants under various biotic and abiotic stresses. Biofertilizers augment the plant development by various direct and indirect plant growth promoting mechanisms such as biological nitrogen fixation, production of several plant growth hormones, flavonoids, siderophores, innumerable hydrolytic enzymes and solubilization and mobilization of potassium, zinc, and phosphorus; therefore, they are the finest substitute of chemical fertilizers as they are eco-friendly for plant growth and soil fertility.
