Biofertilizers An input less exploited

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BiofertilizersAn input less exploited

• A.K. Yadav
• National Centre of Organic Farming
• Ghaziabad

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Types of Biofertilizers
Biofertilizers covered under FCO Other Biofertilizers not covered in FCO
Rhizobium Azotobacter Azospirillum PSB Mycorrhiza Acetobacter Fraturia aurantia Pseudomonas as PGPR Mixed cultures Effective microorganisms
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Advantages of Biofertilizer Use

• N-Biofertilizers can provide 25-30 of chemical
  fertilizer equivalent N
• PSB biofertilizer can provide 12-20 kg
  P2O5/ha/season
• Mycorrhiza can provide adequate, P, other micro
  nutrients and help in increased water absorption
• Mixed biofertilizer give better impact
• Keep soils biologically active
• Help in soil health maintenance

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Economics of biofertilizer use (Liquid)
Biofertilizer/ crop Quantity required lit/ha Cost of application (Rs/ha) Amount of nutrient mobilized kg/ha
Rhizobium in legumes 0.2-1.0 lit 40 - 200 25 35 kg N
Azotobacter/ Azospirillum in non-legumes 0.5 2.0 lit 80 - 400 20 - 25 kg N
AzotoAzospPSB 0.5 2.0 lit 80 - 400 20 kg N 12 kg P
Mixed inoculants 0.5 2.0 lit 80 - 400 25 kg N 15 kg P
Mycorrhiza 2.00 5.00 kg 200-500 20-25 kg P micronutrients moisture
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Quality Specifications under FCO
(i) Base Carrier based in form of moist/dry powder or granules, or liquid based
(ii) Viable cell count CFU minimum 5x107 cell/g of powder, granules or carrier material or 1x108 cell/ml of liquid.
(iii) Contamination level No contamination at 105 dilution
(iv) pH 6.5-7.5
(v) Particles size in case of carrier based material. All material shall pass through 0.15-0.212mm IS sieve
(vi) Moisture percent by weight, maximum in case of carrier based. 30-40
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Efficiency Requirement for Strains used
S. No. Parameter Specification requirement
(vii) Efficiency character For Rhizobium For Azotobacter For Azospirillum For PSB Should show effective nodulation on all the species listed on the packet. The strain should be capable of fixing at least 10 mg of nitrogen per g of sucrose consumed Formation of white pellicle in semisolid N-free bromothymol blue media The strain should have phosphate solubilizing capacity in the range of minimum 30, when tested spectrophotometrically. In terms of zone formation, minimum 5mm solubilization zone in prescribed media having at least 3mm thickness
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Specifications for Mycorrhiza
i. Form/base Fine Powder/ tablets/ granules/ root biomass mixed with growing substrate
ii. Particle size for carrier based powder formulations 90 should pass through 250 micron IS sieve (60 BSS)
iii. Moisture content percent maximum 8 -12
iv. pH 6.0 to 7.5
v. Total viable propagules/ gm of product, minimum 100 /gm of finished product
V. Infectivity potential 80 infection points in test roots/gm of mycorrhizal inoculum used
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Quality control Issues for other Microbial
formulations

• Studies are being made to define minimum
  standards and testing protocols for all
  biological and organic inputs at NCOF
• 5 biofertilizers and 3 organic fertilizers
  covered under FCO
• Efforts are under way to define standards and
  quality methods for Trichoderma, Pseudomonas,
  Mixed cultures, KMB and EM

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Production Scenario
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Important Biofertilizer Producing States
Above Six states account for 86 of total
Biofertilizer production in the country
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Production Technology

• Biofertilizer
• Carrier based Liquid based

• Advantages
• Cheap
• Easier to produce
• Less investment
• Disadvantages
• Low shelf life
• Temperature sensitive
• Contamination prone
• Low cell count
• Less effective
• Automation difficult

• Advantages
• Longer shelf life
• Easier to produce
• Temperature tolerant
• High cell count
• Contamination free
• More effective
• Disadvantages
• High cost
• Higher investment for production unit

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Poor Acceptability

• Poor Acceptability among farmers may be
  attributed to
• Inconsistent responses
• Poor quality of carrier based products
• Sensitivity to temperature and short shelf life
• Non-compatibility with chemical seed dressers/
  fertilizers
• Poor organic carbon in soils
• Dependence for supply on Government system

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Corrective measures needed at production stage

• Poor quality unsterile carrier is biggest
  constraint
• Replace lignite/ charcoal with other carriers
  having high moisture potential
• Such as Exfoliated vermiculite, ppt grade silica,
  Quartz or inert mineral powder enriched with
  synthetic water holding gels.
• All carriers must be sterilized and
• Product handling process must be automatic
• Product must be free from contamination

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Liquid Biofertilizers Ideal Solution

• Efforts needed to replace existing carrier based
  system to liquid system as it is
• Easier to produce
• 100 automation possible
• Product can be 100 sterile
• Offer higher shelf life, higher cell count
• Temperature tolerant
• Easy to apply through mechanical means

Under Network Project on Biofertilizers, ICAR has
launched liquid formulations. Details available
from NCOF/ICAR
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Need for State-of-the-Art Production units

• Certificate of manufacture to be granted only to
  the competent units
• Having fully automatic product handling and
  packaging system
• Carrier sterilization facility
• Liquid production units with fully automatic
  operation be preferred
• Small units with manual production systems and
  small fermenters/shake flask are not successful

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Corrective measures Needed In Application

• Efficiency of biofertilizers depend on organic
  carbon in soil
• Use both as seed treatment and soil treatment
• For soil treatment mix with compost
• PSB to be used as soil treatment with compost
• Mixed application of biofertilizers to be promoted

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Introduction of Mixed Inoculants

• Use of multiple incoulants have proved beneficial
  over single inoculants
• Many producers have launched mixed liquid
  inoculants having Azotobacter, Azospirillum and
  PSB.
• NCOF has found them suitable with individual
  count of 1x107 and total count gt 5x 108
• States can promote use of mixed inoculants

Under Network Project on Biofertilizers, ICAR has
launched liquid formulations for such mixed
inoculants. Details available from NCOF/ICAR
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Encourage Direct supply to farmers

• Majority of the biofertilizer is being routed
  through Government agencies which needs to be
  discontinued
• Encourage producers to develop direct marketing
  channels and supply to farmers directly.
• Subsidy can be provided on the lines of chemical
  fertilizers to the manufacturers or to the
  farmers directly.

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Financial Support

• Adequate financial support is available under
  most of the schemes both for capital investment
  and supply of produce
• Subsidy at 25 of TFO up to Rs. 40 lakh available
  through Banks/NABARD under NPOF
• States can also avail assistance under RKVY

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North and Eastern state Need to Give Attention

• Southern states have successfully harvested the
  potential of biofertilizers.
• States of Maharashtra and MP have also fared well
• But other states are legging behind
• PSB is the most potential biofertilizer and needs
  to be promoted on priority
• PSB strains are not affected by high fertilizer
  doses
• Punjab, Haryana and UP to chalk out specific
  strategies

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Need to Harvest growing fixed nutrient reserve

• Out of total P, K and micronutrients, 70 gets
  fixed and remain in soil
• Reserve is increasing
• Microbial enrichment of soil is only option
• Therefore multiple microorganism cultures need to
  be provided
• PSB, KMB, EM and ZnSB application is to resorted
  on regular basis

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Mycorrhiza a potential biofertilizer

• Mycorrhiza a potential biofertilizer mobilizes P,
  Fe, Zn, B and other trace elements
• Also supplies moisture from far-off niches
• Ideal for long duration crops
• Such as Sugarcane, fruit plants and plantation
  crops
• Found to be effective in cereals and millet crops
  also
• Being dry powder resistant to contamination and
  can be stored up to 2 years.

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Other Biofertilizers

• Industry has launched many new biofertilizers.
  They have been found to be effective and needs to
  be promoted
• Acetobacter diazotrophicus Endophytic N-fixer
  in sugarcane
• K-mobilizer (Fraturia and Bacillus sp)
• Zn- solubilizer (Pseudomonas, Bacillus and
  Thiobacillus)
• EM- Effective microorganisms a mixture of
  Yeasts, Lactobacillus and Rhodopseudomonas.
  Excellent for quick residue degradation and fixed
  nutrient solubilization

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Thank You
Use Biofertilizers For Healthy and living soil