Biofertilizers An input less exploited

1. BiofertilizersAn input less exploited A.K. Yadav National Centre of Organic Farming Ghaziabad

2. Types of Biofertilizers

3. 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

4. Economics of biofertilizer use (Liquid)

5. Quality Specifications under FCO

6. Efficiency Requirement for Strains used

7. Specifications for Mycorrhiza

8. 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

9. Production Scenario

10. Important Biofertilizer Producing States Above Six states account for 86% of total Biofertilizer production in the country

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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 > 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

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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.

23. 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

24. Thank You Use Biofertilizers For Healthy and living soil