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Biofertilizers: A Sustainable Eco-Friendly Agricultural Approach to Crop Improvement

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Plant Acclimation to Environmental Stress

Abstract

Fertilizers play an important role in enhancing crop productivity. However, chemical fertilizers are expensive, non-eco-friendly, cause eutrophication, reduce organic matter and microbiotic activity in soil and are hazardous to health. Therefore, the use of biofertilizers is desirable as they are natural, biodegradable, organic and more cost-effective than chemical fertilizers. Biofertilizers consist of plant remains, organic matter and some special class of micro-organisms. Biofertilizers help to increase quality of the soil by providing nutrients and natural environment in the rhizosphere. The micro-organisms present in biofertilizers are important because they produce nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other nutrients required for benefit of the plants. Most biofertilizers also secrete hormones like auxins, cytokinins, biotins and vitamins which are essential for plant growth. Biofertilizers give protection to plant by secreting antibiotics which are effective against many plant pathogens. Biofertilizers also protect plant from salinity and drought stress. Biofertilizers are inexpensive and safe inputs which provide a wide scope for research in the areas of organic farming and development of stress-free environment. Overall, the significant role of biofertilizers in plant growth productivity and protection against some stresses makes them a vital and powerful tool for organic and sustainable agriculture. This article describes various kinds of biofertilizers and their impact on different crops. The various biofertilizers which are described in this chapter are Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Rhizobium, Blue green algae, phosphorus and potassium solubilizing micro-organisms and Mycorrhizae. Vermicomposting and a possible mechanism of action of various biofertilizers have also been described.

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  1. International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110 067, India

    Ranjan Kumar Sahoo & Deepak Bhardwaj

  2. Plant Molecular Biology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India

    Narendra Tuteja

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  1. Ranjan Kumar Sahoo
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  2. Deepak Bhardwaj
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  1. Engineering & Biotechnology, Plant Molecular Biology Group, International Centre for Genetic, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Narendra Tuteja

  2. Engineering & Biotechnology, Plant Molecular Biology Grop, International Centre for Genetic, ICGEB, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110 067, India

    Sarvajeet Singh Gill

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Sahoo, R.K., Bhardwaj, D., Tuteja, N. (2013). Biofertilizers: A Sustainable Eco-Friendly Agricultural Approach to Crop Improvement. In: Tuteja, N., Singh Gill, S. (eds) Plant Acclimation to Environmental Stress. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5001-6_15

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