BIOFERTILIZERS ARE MICROBIAL

INOCULANTS SUPPORTED ON
CARRIERS AND MAKE
AGRICULTURE:

# environmentally sustainable,
# economically rewarding,
# intellectually stimulating.
WHAT ARE BIOFERTILIZERS [BF]?

• Microbial inoculants that are carrier-based

preparations containing beneficial
microorganisms in a viable state.
• Intended for seed or soil application.
• Designed to improve soil fertility in N and P
• Provide growth promoter substances.
 Microbial inoculants
• Artificially multiplied cultures of certain
soil organisms that can improve soil
fertility and crop productivity.
• Rhizobia were discovered in 1895,
followed by the Azotobacter and then
the blue green algae and a host of other
micro-organisms.
• Azospirillum and Vesicular-Arbuscular
Micorrhizae (VAM) are fairly recent
discoveries.
BIOFERTILIZERS: USE IN INDIA

# First commercial production of legume

Rhizobium symbiosis was done in 1956
# Ninth Plan initiated National Project on
Development and Use of Biofertilizers
(NPDB).
# To supplement chemical fertilizers that
become expensive and deteriorate soil.
 Factors affecting Performance of
biofertilizers:
• Host plant
• Soil fertility
• Cropping practices
• Biological & environmental factors
Survival and efficiency of BF are
affected by the above factors
 Rhizobium
• Bacteria that grows in root nodules of
legumes [soya bean, etc]

• Rhizobium INOCULANTS:
Use of Rhizobium culture in legumes is
most promising. On average, its use
can supply 15-20 kg N/ha to legumes:
increase yield up to 20 per cent.
 Rhizobium
• Rhizobium bacteria in roots of legume
plants fix atmospheric N2 in nodules
formed on the roots of plants.
A pure and efficient strain of
Rhizobium multiplied in the lab on a
suitable medium by using shake flask
technology or fermentation technology
and inoculated into seed or root.
 Non-legume INOCULANTS
Azotobacter

# These bacteria enhance the plant

growth and finally yield. A highly efficient
strain _
Azotobacter chrooccocum is grown in
the lab either as shake culture or using
fermenter.
 Azotobactor:

• Free living micro-organisms, that grow

in the rhizosphere and fix atmospheric
nitrogen non-symbiotically
• Makes it available to particularly
cereals. Promotes seed germination,
initial vigor of plants- by producing
growth producing substances
 Azospirillum
• Azospirillum, [ Azospirillum lipoferum,
biological nitrogen fixing grasses;
enhance biomass-root system]
• Associative endo-symbiont on roots of
grasses and similar types of plants.
Also fixes atmospheric nitrogen and
benefits host plants by supplying growth
hormones and vitamins.
 Azospirillum
• Commonly used for preparation of
commercial inoculants on a large
scale, for cereals and grasses as it
produces growth promoters in
addition to fixing N2.
• Has good adaptability to temp, soil
pH and wide host range.
 Cyanobacteria INOCULANTS::

• Biological nitrogen fixing ;

photosynthetic also; Some free living

cyanobacteria like Nostoc, Tolypothirix

etc and other symbiotic like -

Anabaena-Azolle_ useful for rice

 Cyanobacteria

An important group of micro-organisms_ fix

atmospheric nitrogen non-symbiotically
mostly_ in rice fields in heterocysts cells_
specially known as sites of nitrogen
fixation.
 Cyanobacteria: Preparation

Efficient strains_ used for

multiplication on a large scale in
field. Production of inoculum in
artificially controlled conditions is
defined but more expensive.
Open air soil culture_ most
simple, less expensive_ easily
adaptable by the farmers.
 Cyanobacteria: Preparation
– # Based on use of starter culture that is
multi-strain inoculum of_ Aulosira,
Tolypothrix, Scytonema, Nostoc and
Anabaena.
– # In rural areas, unskilled labour can
undertake the multiplication of blue green
algae as a paying industry.
 Phosphate SOLUBILIZING
INOCULANTS
• Phosphate solubilizing
microorganisms are
Bacteria (Bacillus megaterium) and / or
fungi (Aspergillus awamorii) -
• Secrete organic acids - dissolve bound
phosphate in soil
Phosphate Solubilizing bacteria / fungi:
Phosphorus_ required for plant growth
and water yield. It is also essential for
nodulation by Rhizobium.
– Phospho-micro organism are mostly
bacteria and fungi. Mycorrhizae have
high potential of phosphorus
accummulation in plants.
 VAM fungi
[Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza]

Intracellular, obligate, fungal endo-

symbiont - glomus etc.- transfers

phosphorus, zinc & sulfur from soil to

root.
 Mycorrhiza
• Colonise 85% of land plants_ offers
50 % saving in chemical P fertilizer_
higher resistance to soil-and-root
borne pathogens_ helps in
wasteland reclamation by providing
extended arm to plant root system.
# A broad-spectrum mycorrhizal
biofertilizer is available.
 Mycorrhiza Produced by:
# M/s Cadila Pharamaceutical

Ltd., Ahemdabad, and KCP

Sugar and Industries (Pvt.) Ltd.,
Chennai [DBT-TERI, New Delhi’s
technology].
Award for Producer of Mycorrhiza

• KCP Sugar Industries received

the All India Biotechnology
Association Award for
production and marketing of
the mycorrhizal bio-fertilizer.
 Estimated potential Demand for
Biofertilisers by 2000-2001

• Type of Biofertiliser • Demand (Tonnes)

• Rhizobium • 34,999
• Azotobacter • 145,953
• Azospirillum • 74,342
• 251,738
• Blue green Algae
• Phosphate solublising • 255,340
microorganism
762,372
• Total:
 Biofertilizer Production Support:
GOI- 1999-2000
• National Biofertilizer Development
Centre- established at Ghaziabad with 6
Regional BF Development Centres
each at Jabalpur, Hissar, Nagpur,
Bangalore, Bhubaneswar and Imphal.
• Under this scheme 74 BF-production
units established with central
assistance having annual production
capacity of 8475 tonnes.
Promoting Bio-fertilizers: Current Situation

• A limited extent of success till date

(2000).
• There has been no accelerated growth
in distribution with time.
• Inadequate spatial diffusion.
• Despite entry of small private units into
the industry there is no clear indication
of the success of privatization.
Progress of the bio-fertilizer Industry

• Based on the data for 1995, 1997

and 1999, the industry witnessed a
steady increase in the number of
units producing the BF ;
• the bulk of the growth took place by
1992-95 of the sample period and
stagnated thereafter.
 Changes in the share by type of BF

• moderate success in AZT and by

far the best performance by PSB
• decline in RHZ indicated success in
groundnut and pulses was below
expectation.
 Main constraints in spread of
BF as an Industry:

1. Inadequate production and supply

of efficient cultures of micro-
organisms to farmers well before
sowing.

2. Quality control aspect

3. Lack of publicity, communication.

Marketing: Host, soil & climate specific
BF: Receive user feedback
• To cover the vast areas of legumes,
pulses and oil seeds cereals and
horticultural crops- to train users to
apply and to receive feedback info.
from them.
• More manufacturer-distributors
needed_ to prepare the bio-fertilizers in
particular locality and supply to farmers
as per farmer’s need, while earning
profit.
 Marketing of BF: Logistics
• # Prepared bio-fertilizers should reach
farmers prior to sowing.
# If given free of cost, that lowers down
the importance of product and farmers
don’t use them carefully.
# If bio-fertilizers are supplied after
expiry date_expected results are not
obtained.
Steps in biofertilizer production

Strain selection,
Mass Culture,
Carrier preparation and
Inoculant quality testing.
Packaging
Distribution
 NATURE OF BF INDUSTRY:
• Indigenous technology
• Scientific aspects: Standardized by
Agricultural Universities and Research
Labs.
• Machineries and laboratory
equipments are of BIS standards.
 Manufacturing equipments:
• Laboratory equipments,
• Autoclaves,
• Fermenter assembly,
• Boiler,
• Broth dispensers,
• Plant for sterlisation, deminralising
• Air compressor
 The size of a Biofertiliser unit:

• Capacity of production of various types /

strains of bio-fertilizers per annum.
• The projects so far set up in our county
vary from 75 TPA to 300 TPA.
• Expandable by adding a few additional
equipment like a fermenter and / or
adding another shift.
 Requirements of BF Projects
• 1 Land 2 Layout and buildings 3 Plant and
Machinery 4 Manufacturing process and
Source of technology 5 Infrastructural
Facilities for raw material, carrier material and
utilities (Power,Water, Compressed air,
Vehicles) 6 Manpower_Unit Size 7 Business
Prospects And Marketing and Selling
Arrangements