Title: The Prospects of Bio-Fertilizer Technology for Productive and Sustainable Agricultural Growth
Abstract: Rapid increase in global human population with escalating crisis for food will continue because the land area for agriculture is not only limited but also equivalently shrinking overtime. Therefore, the need of the time is to enhance crop productivity which eventually is leading to substantial loss in soil health due to extensive use of agrochemicals. Intensive agricultural practices (reliance on agrochemicals, conventional tillage, clean cultivation techniques, etc.) greatly deteriorate ecology and human health. Therefore, establishing an eco-friendly mechanism through significant substitution of synthetic chemical fertilizers is one of the major goals of sustainable agricultural concepts. In this context, meaningful research program on the utilization of "beneficial microorganisms" in agriculture has tremendous potential to revolutionize the agro-industry. These mutualistic beneficial microorganisms accelerate the microbial process which eventually augments the availability of nutrients that can then be easily assimilated and absorbed by the plants. Researches, so far, have resulted into the development of numerous kinds of bio-fertilizers among which N-fixing organisms, P&K-solubilizing organisms, arbuscular mycorrhiza, etc. are noteworthy. These organisms derive energy and nutrition from soil and in return exert positive influence on crop growth and production. Despite of such immense potential industry-scale application of bio-fertilizers technology is yet to gain momentum. This endeavor attempts to shed light on the prospects of bio-fertilizers, their mode of action, and their efficacy toward agricultural sustainability. The review also attempts to identify and analyze the technological obstacles as well as socioeconomic lacunae that hinder the growth of bio-fertilizer technology as a strong alternative to inorganic fertilizers.
Publication Year: 2019
Publication Date: 2019-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 11
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