| Biofertilizers |
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WHY BIOFERTILIZERS Since historic or prehistoric times crops and plants have grown naturally in the fertile soils. Growth and quality of the crops depend on the fertility of soils. Organic content of the soils contribute to the soil fertility. Population burst and profit oriented approaches to farming, lead to intense farming across the glob. For rapid and higher yields inorganic salts are commercially being used since 19th century deteriorating the soil quality. Self regenerating ability of the soil is also lost due to the excessive use of inorganics. Hence now there is an awareness of organic farming or natural farming or sustainable farming. This is where BIOFERTILIZERS and BIOMAX come in. SOIL FERTILITY Soil Fertility is the strength or the ability of the soils to provide adequate nutrients to the plants. Most of the plant nutrition comes from the organic content. A small portion of the nutrition is provided by the inorganic content (the trace elements). Organic content of the soils is developed and maintained by the friendly bacteria present in the soils. These bacteria digest the agricultural or other organic wastes. The degradation products of the organic wastes improve fertility of the soils. HOW BIOFERTILIZERS WORK There is an abundance of biopolymers like proteins, fats, fibers and other carbohydrates in natural soils. Bacteria in soil digest these large biopolymers to respective smaller monomers. Proteins are digested to amino acids, carbohydrates and fiber to sugars and fats/lipids to fatty acids by the soil bacteria. Plants can easily absorb these small molecules or monomers. Additionally, the soil-bacteria help the plant-roots to absorb Major and minor nutrients present in the soils. The soil-bacteria also release biochemicals which accelerate the plant growth. TYPICAL FUNCTIONS OF BIOFERTILIZERS · Nitrogenous biofertilizers harvest atmosphere nitrogen converting it into ammonical form, which in due course is made available to the plants or is released in the soil. · Phosphate solubilizers solubilize fixed forms of phosphorus already present in the soil and make it available for use of plants. · Sulfur dissolving microbes make sulfur available to plants. · Zinc solubilizers make the Zink from soil available to plants. · Cellulose and lignin degraders breakdown the natural fibers to monomers. · Microbes solubilizing other micronutrients are also beneficial to plant growth. · Compositing biofertilizers are used for hastening the process of compositing and for enriching its nutrient value. |
