Biofertilizers are living microorganisms that enhance plant growth by improving nutrient availability and soil health. They play a crucial role in organic farming by providing essential nutrients while reducing chemical fertilizer dependency. Different types of biofertilizers, such as nitrogen-fixing and phosphatic biofertilizers, can significantly boost the yield of various vegetable crops through methods like seed treatment and soil application.

1. ROLE OF BIOFERTILIZERS IN VEGETABLE
PRODUCTION
Submitted by-
MAHENDRA KUMAR ATAL
M.Sc. (Ag.) Hort.
3rd Semester
Roll No. 15058
Enrollment No. 225/15
Department of Applied Plant Science
(Horticulture)
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University,
Lucknow (U.P.) 226025

2. What IS Biofertilizers?
 A bio-fertilizer is a substance which contains living
micro-organisms which, when applied to seed, plant
surfaces, or soil, colonize
 The rhizosphere or the interior of the plant and promotes
growth by increasing the supply or availability of primary
nutrients to the host plant.
 They help build up the soil micro-flora and there by the
soil health.
 As we know, organic farming excludes the use of any
chemical.
 Use of biofertilizer is recommended for improving the
soil fertility in organic farming.

3. INTRODUCTION
Integrated use of all the sources such as mineral
fertilizers, organic manures and biofertilizers etc. The
use of organic manure resend material fertilizers is in
practice but use of biofertilizers in agriculture is not
very popular. Hence, there is a need to make its use
popular,
It has been estimated that almost 87 percent of
cooking energy in India is derived from firewood,
cowdung and agricultural waste and only rest 13
percent is from commercial source. The rural poor to
the developed sources, the organic potential of the
country would not become fully available for the crop
production.

4. Philosophy behind use of biofertilizers
The cropping system rather than an individual
crop and the whole farm rather that an
individual field should be the focus of attention.
There are mainly two types of biofertilizers for
horticultural crops:
Nitrogen Fixing Biofertilizer (NFB)
Phosphatic Biofertilizers (PBF)

5. Nitrogen Fixing Biofertilizers (NBFs)
The NBF add nitrogen to the soil by reducing
atmospheric nitrogen. Commonly produced NBF
add nitrogen.
Commonly produced NBF are:
Crop specific Rhizobium to inoculate
leguminous crops.
Non specific Azospirillum, mainly used for
cereal crops.
Non symbiotic Azotobacter fixing nitrogen for
inoculating a wide range of crops.

6. SYMBIOTIC NITROGEN FIXATION (SNF)
 Such type of nitrogen fixation is observed in
leguminous crops.
 These crops have symbiotic association with soil
bacteria relationship between legumes and
Rhizobium .
 The bacteria alone are not capable to fix nitrogen.
The Rhizobium bacteria infect the roots of legume
crops.
 Symbiotic micro-organism fixing 37 to 101
kg./ha.

7. ASYMBIOTIC NITROGEN FIXATION
 The fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by free living
micro organisms is termed as asymbiotic nitrogen
fixation.
 It is carried out by some bacteria and blue-green
algae.(BGA)
 The free living nitrogen fixing bacteria are classified
into aerobic and anaerobic and facultative anaeraobic
categories.

8. Phosphatic Biofertilizers (PBF)
-Contain phosphate solubilising
bacteria belonging to genera -
Pseudomonas and Bacillus
-Fungi of the genera - Penicillium and
Aspergillus
-Performance of PBF largley depends
on soil organic matter content (Reddy,
2010).

9. TYPES OF BIOFERTILIZERS
1. AZOTOBACTER
2. AZOSPIRILLUM
3. RIZOBIUM
4. PHOSPATIC SOLUBILIZING BIOFERTILIZER [ PSB ]
5. VESICULAR ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZA [ VAM ]

11. RHIZOBIUM
AZOSPIRILLUM
VA-MYCORRHIZA
BLUE GREEN ALGAE
AZOTOBACTER
PSB
BIOFERTILIZERS ORGANISMS

12. AZOTOBACTER
Azotobacter is free living nitrogen fixing bacteria,
fixing nitrogen equivalent to 25-30kg. N/ha.
It also produces hormones like Indole Acetic Acid
(IAA) and gibberellins.
Vitamins like biotin, folic acid and different
Vitamin B- group are also produced.
The application of Azotobacter, supported by
judicious use of organic matter, ensures good seed
germination and increasing productivity.

13. AZOSPIRILLUM
 The Azospirillum bacteria belong to family Spirilaceae
and are associated in nature, produce growth regulating
substance and fix 20-40 Kg N/ha.
 Its application increases water uptake, nutrient
absorption, root development, vegetative growth and crop
yields
.
 In onion, application of Azospirillum at 500 gm./ha.seed
treatment .

14. RHIZOBIUM
Symbiotic N2 fixation by Rhizobium in legumes
contribute substantially to total nitrogen fixation
classified in to two groups:-
(1) Slow growing Rhizobium (Brady Rhizobium Sp.)
(2) The fast growing rhizobia ( Rhizobium Sp.)
Rhizobiam are present in the soil but all of them
are not capable of forming nodules. Hence, artificial
inoculation with tested effective strains, should be taken
for obtaining optimum yield.

15. PHOSPHATE-SOLUBILING
BACTERIA
 These biofertilizers play a significant role in
solubilizing insoluble phosphate.
 Around 95-99% of the total soil phosphorus are
insoluble.
 Are not directly available to plants.
About 15-25% of insoluble phosphate can be
solubilized, saving chemical fertilizers significantly.
 Bacillus polymyxa, Aspergillus awamori, Penicillum
digitatum etc. are important PSB’s.

16. VESICULAR ARBUSCULAR
MYCORRHIZA (VAM)
 These are Mycorrhizal fungi and show highest
specialization of parasitism.
 They however, fail to grow on artificial medium in
laboratory.
 However, they were successfully infected on strawberry
by tissue culture by a Mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus spp.
 These fungi enhance uptake of P, Zn, S and water leading
to uniform growth and increased yield.
 Association of Mycorrhizal endophytes and their
beneficial effects have been reported in crops like brinjal,
cauliflower, chilli etc.

17. IMPORTANT BIOFERTILIZERS USED IN VEGETABLE
CROPS
Macro-organism Nutrient fixed Vegetable crops
Rhizobium spp. 50 to 300 kg nitrogen
per ha per year
Cowpea, Pea, Beans and
Dolichus etc.
Azospirillum 10 to 20 kg nitrogen
per ha per year
Tomato, Brinjal, Chilli and
Capsicum etc.
Azotobacter 0.50 to 20 kg nitrogen
per ha per year
Tomato, Brinjal, Chilli,
Capsicum etc.
Phosphate-
solubilizing bacteria
Solubilize the
phosphorus
Tomato, Chilli and Brinjal
VAM fungi Increase availability of
phosphorus and micro
nutrient
Most of vegetable crops

18. THE EFFECT OF VAM FUNGI ON VARIOUS CROPS
Plants VAM inoculants Results obtained
Potato VAM from barley fields Yield increase by 20%
Cowpea Glomus fasciculatus More growth in the presence of rock
phosphate

19. USE OF BIOFERTILIZERS
The Regional Biofertilizer Development Centre,
Nagpur, conducted experiments at farmers fields during
1997-98.
The Azotobacter and Phosphate-solubilizers on Okra,
Brinjal, Chilli and Cauliflower were used.
The application of Azotobacter increased the yield of Okra,
Brinjal, chilli and Cauliflower 8.3, 8.9, 15.7, 10.3, 6.2%
respectively,
while the respective response of phosphate-solubilizers on
brinjal and cauliflower were 10.0 and 7.3%.

20. How to apply Biofertilizers in Vegetables ?
There are 4 methods for applying biofertilizers in
vegetables:
• Seed treatment
• Seedling treatment
• Cuttings/set treatment and
• Soil application

21. SEED TREATMENT
About 200g of biofertilizer is sufficient for 10 to 14
kg seed.
One packet of biofertilizer weighing 200g in 400ml of water
(mixed thoroughly).
Mixture poured on seeds and mixed with hands to obtain
uniform coating on each and every seed.
Spread the seed in shade for drying for 10 to 15 minutes,
then sow them immediately in the field.

22. SEEDLING TREATMENT
One kilograms of culture is dissolved in 10 litres of
water.
The roots of seedlings are dipped in suspension for
15 to 20 minutes.
The seedlings are than transplanted immediately.

23. CUTTING/SET TREATMENT
One kilograms of culture is mixed in 50 to 60 liters of
water and suspension is prepared.
The cut pieces of planting material are dipped in
suspension for 10 to 15 minutes.
The treated cuttings are dried for some time in shade,
so that the suspended material may stick to the cutting.

24. SOIL APPLICATION
 Five to seven kilograms of biofertilizers is
mixed in 100 to 150 kg of soil.
 The innoculated soil broadcast evenly on one
hectare of land.
 The broadcasting is done preferably
immediately at the time of
sowing/transplanting.

25.  Better germination
 They form an important association with other soil microbes and
help in nutrient supply.
 Fixes atmospheric nitrogen.
 Increase availability or uptake of nutrients through solubilization or
increased absorption.
 Stimulate plant growth through hormonal or antibiotics action or
by decomposing organic waste.
 They are cheap, hence, reduced cost of cultivation.
 Improves soil properties and sustaining soil fertility lead to soil
enrichment.
 Are compatible with long term sustainability.
 Build up soil fertility in the long term.
 They are eco-friendly and pose no damage to the environment
ADVANTAGES

26. As such there is no harmful impact of bio-fertilizers, if it is used
properly how ever some constraints have been observed:
 Specific to the plants
 Rhizobiun spp. - culture does not work well in high nitrate tolerant
strains of soybean.
 The acceptability of bio-fertilizers has been rather low chiefly
because they do not produce quick and spectacular responses.
 Require skill in production and application.
 Difficult to store
Disadvantages:

27. CONCLUSION
Biofertilizers are the need of modern
horticulture. They are cost effective and inexpensive
source of plant macro and micro nutrient as substitute
of chemical fertilizers. Their proliferation in roots,
rhizosphere and soil depends on plant species, and the
microbe-soil relationship. For sustainable horticulture
crop production there is need to reduce use of chemical
fertilizers and increase the biofertilizers gradually.

28. REFERENCES
Battacharya, P. Jain, R. K. and Paliwal, M. K. (2001). Biofertilizers for
Vegetables. Indian Horticulture. pp 12-13.
Kunte, Y. N, Kawthalkar, M. P. and Yawalkar, K. S. (2014). Principles of
Horticulture and Fruit Growing 10th Edition pp 337.
Reddy S. R. (2010). Principles and Practices of Agronomy.Kalyani
Publications, pp 154.
Singh, Jitendra (2014). Basic Horticulture, Kalyani Publishers pp 175.
S. K. Dixit, Sanjay Kumar, M. L. Meena and R. B. Ram (2007).
Biofertilizer may be substitute of chemical fertilizer: A Review. The Asian
Journal of Horticulture, : 298-300.
Katyayan Arun , 1 ( 2001) Fundamental of Agriculture Vol. 1,Kalyani
Publications and Distributors,pp248-254.