Transitioning from chemical-based farming techniques to organic-based farming techniques
The ever-rising population has put considerable pressure on land and various other natural resources that have, in turn, resulted in damage done to the ecological base of agriculture and led to various socio-economic problems. An accelerated rate of crop production has led to a rapid loss of plant nutrients, thereby putting a pressure on soil resources. Most farmers have been seen resorting to the use of various chemical and inorganic fertilizers to help replenish this loss of nutrients.
However, such rampant use of chemical fertilizers has been found to decelerate the biological activities in the soil leading to impaired soil health. As a result, farmers are gradually moving toward a more favored stream of farming, which is the organic form.
In organic farming, the use of chemical fertilizers is typically avoided, and alternatives like biofertilizers, green manure, and compost are preferred over these fertilizers. As the consumers' income levels are increasing, their dietary habits are also changing, and there is a rise in the demand for organic food.
In countries such as the US, the demand for organic food is outpacing its supply, and many farmers are also considering transitioning their conventional farming practices to organic farming. A growing market for organic crops, which leads to more income for them, is discouraging some farmers from using chemical or inorganic fertilizers, directly affecting their market.
Biofertilizers, on the other hand, are essential components of organic farming and are witnessing an increase in their demand owing to their chemical-free and environment-friendly nature. Biofertilizers augment the fertility of the soil, while enhancing crop yield, thereby becoming the preferred choice for organic farmers. Biofertilizers help improve soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, solubilize the otherwise insoluble soil phosphates, and produce plant growth substances in the soil.
Australia, Argentina, and the US are some of the countries where most of the agricultural land is used for organic farming. In addition, countries such as Bhutan and Denmark are increasing the focus on sustainable agriculture and are turning completely organic.
Increasing adoption of biofertilizers in soil fertility management practices
Over the years, soil fertility management practices have gained importance, primarily because of the loss of arable land and an increase in the demand for food. This mandates the maximum use of available resources, thereby necessitating the use of biofertilizers. Currently, most soil management strategies are highly dependent on inorganic or chemical fertilizers, which already pose a danger to the human health as well as the environment. The use of beneficial microbes as biofertilizers have turned out to be of utmost importance in the agricultural sector for the potential they carry to provide food safety and a sustainable crop production method.
The eco-friendlier approach toward the preservation of soil fertility practices includes a wide range of application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, endo and ectomycorrhizal fungi, cyanobacteria, and many different microscopic organisms, which lead to an improved plant growth, nutrient uptake, and plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress.
These biofertilizers help mediate various functional traits of crops, which include plant growth and productivity, nutrient profile and plant defense-related genes, which help improve crops.
Biofertilizers help keep the soil environment rich with different kinds of micro and macro nutrients, via nitrogen fixation, phosphate and potassium solubilization or mineralization, the release of plant growth regulating substances, and through the production of antibiotics and biodegradation of organic matter in the soil.
In the coming decades, a major focus for most farmers is the sustenance of soil fertility, with the help of safe and eco-friendly methods that exploit beneficial microorganisms for proper crop production. These microorganisms consist of a number of naturally occurring microbes whose inoculation to the soil enhances the soil's physicochemical properties, soil microbes' biodiversity, soil health, plant growth and development, and crop productivity.
Such agriculturally beneficial microbial populations help cover plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, N2 -fixing cyanobacteria, mycorrhiza, plant disease suppressive beneficial bacteria, stress tolerance endophytes, and degrading microbes. Such biofertilizers are increasingly gaining importance as an important component to soil and crop management traditions, which when used effectively could be significant in maintaining the sustainability of various crop productions.
Advent of liquid biofertilizers
One of the major innovations in biofertilizers is the advent of liquid biofertilizers. Liquid biofertilizers are special liquid formulations containing not only the desired microorganisms and their nutrients but also special cell protectants or chemicals which promote the formation of resting spores or cysts, which help the biofertilizer attain a longer shelf life and tolerance to adverse conditions. Carrier-based biofertilizers, which are the solid ones, have a shelf life of only six months. These biofertilizers are not tolerant to ultra-violet rays and temperatures of more than 300C.
The population density of these microbes is extremely scarce and limited, and this count reduces every day, making them entirely absent from the biofertilizer at the end of six months. Therefore, carrier-based or solid biofertilizers have not been gaining much momentum amongst farmers. Such defects have been omitted in liquid biofertilizers.
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