Biofertilizer and their importance in sustainable agriculture

Abstract

There are many small or undeveloped countries whose economy depends on agricultural production. A healthy agriculture production depends on various factors like soil quality, water, fertilizer, skilled labor, and many more. Fertilizer is the most crucial things that influence agricultural production. A fertilizer is a kind of chemical or natural substance that is helpful in crop production. However, to achieve quick agricultural yields we usually used chemical fertilizer which is very responsive to biofertilizer but the chemical fertilizer is not as eco-friendly as biofertilizer. Biofertilizer are natural fertilizes which are living microbial inoculants of bacteria, algae, fungi alone or in combination and they augment the availability of nutrients to the plants. Mycorrhizal fungi preferentially withdraw minerals from organic matter for the plant whereas cyanobacteria are characterized by the property of nitrogen fixation. The role of biofertilizer in agriculture assumes special significance, particularly in the present context of increased cost of chemical fertilizer and their hazardous effects on soil health. Agricultural fertilizers are essential for proper crop growth and yield. Chemical fertilizers have recently been used by farmers to increase yield and speed up the process. Natural biofertilizer, on the other hand, not only have a higher yield but are also safe for humans.  The benefits of biofertilizer include low cost, enhanced nutrient availability, improved soil fertility, protect plants from soil-borne pathogens, sustainable agricultural production, enhanced biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, promote phytohormone production, improve soil health, causing less environmental pollution, and its continued use improves the fertility of soil considerably.