Introduction
Biofertilisers are derived from various nitrogen-fixing and phosphate solubalising micro organisms. These organisms are found in soil, water and leaves surface. Bio-fertilisers enrich soil organic matter, soil enzymes and soil microbial population. They also maintain the long-term soil fertility, which is essential for achieving higher productivity of crops and sustainability of yields. These potential biological systems would provide 15-20 lakh tonnes of nitrogen for crop production.
The reason for inadequate popularity of biofertilisers
- Biofertilisers cannot show instant and dramatic response like fertilisers.
- In many cases, quality of culture supplied is poor.
- Inadequate correct awareness among the farmers about inoculants.
- Lack of strong promotion and extension work and insufficient publicity.
- Lack of availability of the quality products in time rural areas.
Hence the biofertiliser production technology has attracted much attention.
The total estimated demand for various biofertilisers for different crops grown in India is as follows:
Rhizobium |
35.730 tonnes |
Azospirillum |
4,82,000 tonnes |
Azotobacter |
1,62,610 tonnes |
Blue green algae |
2,67,720 tonnes |
azolla |
20,380 tonnes |
Phosphate solubilisers |
2,75,500 tonnes |
The present production capacities of different biofertilisers in India are as follow
National Biofertiliser Development |
|
Centre (Central Sector) |
375 tonnes |
State Agricultural Universities |
245 tonnes |
State
Agricultural Departments |
665 tonnes |
Agro Industries Corporations |
1130 tonnes |
Private Sector |
195 tonnes |
The annual requirement and production of different biofertilisers have clearly shown tremendous gap in this area. Thus a strategy for judicious combination of chemical fertilisers and biofertilisers will be economically viable and ecologically useful. It should also be remembered that biofertilisers are not a substitute, but a supplement to chemical fertilisers for maximizing not only yield but also agro system stability.
For successful launching of a biofertilisers programme it is necessary to equip the extension machinery at the grass root level with the full technical back up of production as well as application technology. There is need to give emphasis to biofertilisers as supplementary, renewable and non-polluting sources of nutrients. Once the farmers are convinced that the biofertilisers are an inexpensive but effective way of keeping their soil fertility, they will accept them and this will lead to higher crop production and higher economic returns.
Long term fertiliser experiments conducted in India and China during the past one century showed that integrated use of organic manures and fertilisers were in addition to maintaining.
Ag.
Technologies
(Crop
Husbandry)
