Advanced Bio-fertilizers for modern agriculture: A review

Biofertilizers and Plant growth regulators are widely used in agriculture, horticulture, and viticulture. A broad canvas of biofertilizers and plant growth regulators that enhance soil nutrients along with legumes and non-legumes inoculants are observed in sustainable agriculture. They interfere directly with the plant’s hormonal status and are represented by plant hormone biosynthesis or translation. Some growth regulators act as a biofertilizers. The mode of action of these microorganisms within and the transformation of nutrients is elucidated. In the Indian scenario, the use of biofertilizers and plant growth regulators faces various constraints that have to be overcome. There are many reasons for such a low adoption of this technology, which are related to technological, developmental, social issues. Biofertilizers manufactured in India presently are carrier-based, in general, and suffer from short shelf life, poor quality, high contamination, and low and unpredictable field performances. Death of the organisms in the inoculated seeds is one of the important factors contributing to the failure of inoculation response in field conditions. Plant growth regulators or phytohormones are organic substances produced naturally in higher plants, controlling growth or other physiological functions at a site remote from its place of production and active in minute amounts. Researchers have found “Biofertilizer” as an excellent alternative to chemical fertilizers that provide nutrients through the action of nitrogen fixation, solubilizing phosphorus, and trigger plant growth through the synthesis of growth-promoting essence.