-Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology
Laboratory exercise #7
Title
Biofertilizers as a promising tool in maintaining agricultural ecosystems.
Aim
To study biofertilizers as natural manure to promote plant growth maintaining the crop yield and
soil texture
Objectives
Exercise Questions/ Discussion:
Q.1. What do you know about biofertilizers? Describe their types? (5 Marks)
Biofertilizers are fertilizers that contain useful microorganisms that are capable of enhancing the
nutrients of plants by colonizing the rhizosphere of the plant when administered to their seeds,
plant surface, or soil (toppr, n.d.).There are four common types of biofertilizers that are widely
used, these include:
● Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria - In this sort of fertilizer, bacteria such as Rhizobium
form a mutualism relationship with the plant, in which the bacteria seek refuge and food
from the plant, and the plant supports the bacteria by giving fixed nitrogen.
● Loose Association of Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria - The rhizosphere is a bacterial-plant
interaction in which bacteria such as Azospirillum collects plant exudate and utilise it as
food. This relationship between the plant and the bacteria is known as associative
mutualism.
● Symbiotic Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacteria-this form of biofertilizer contains bacteria like
Anabaena, which is found in the leaf cavities of ferns and is responsible for nitrogen
fixation. Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria include liverworts, cycad roots, ferns, and
lichens.
● Free-Living Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria- are those biofertilizers that contain free-living soil
bacteria that also have the capability of nitrogen fixation.For instance, saprotrophic
anaerobes like Clostridium beijerinckii and Azotobacter, are some of those bacteria found
in this type of biofertilizer.
(BYJU'S, n.d.)
Q.2. How do biofertilizers play an important role in promoting plant growth and
simultaneously maintaining agricultural ecosystems?
Biofertilizers are eco-friendly sources of plant nutrients since these fertilizers can promote
growth and fertility without harming the soil or plants (GrytaMagdalena, 2020).Biofertilizers
play an important role in promoting plant growth and simultaneously maintaining the ecosystem
in multiple ways these includes:
● Biofertilizers are less likely to pollute or contaminate nearby water streams as compared
to inorganic fertilizers that have the tendency of leaching and resulting tinto
eutrophication and causing acquired methemoglobinemia when nitrate levels above 10
mg/L.
● As opposed to inorganic fertilizers, biofertilizers do not cause salt burn or seedling death.
Because biofertilizers are essentially biodegradable, using too much of them, whether by
accident or on purpose, has no negative effect on soil fertility.
● Because of their delayed nutrient release, biofertilizers are known to have long-term
impacts, allowing nutrients to build up in the soil and so boosting total soil fertility.
● Bio-fertilizer also adds organic matter to the soil helping to bind the soil particles
together therefore avoiding soil eructing, desertification, and erosion while also boosting
the soil's water retention capacity (Itelima et al.,2018).
Q.3. Why do you prefer biofertilizers over chemical fertilizers, justify? (5 Marks)
Chemical fertilizers are usually used in high amounts to increase crop yield. However, they
affect the environment by causing water pollution and damage to the soil. This has caused
environmentalists to switch to organic farming. Organic farming is much safer and it uses
biofertilizers and biopesticides to provide nutrients for the plant and to control pathogens and
pests (Sciencedirect, 2020). Biofertilizers utilize microorganisms to enhance growth in seeds and
plants. When applied to plants or soil, the microbes in the fertilizer colonize the rhizosphere of
the plant and enhance growth by increasing the nutrient being supplied. Nutrients are added
through nitrogen fixation, solubilizing phosphorus, and stimulating growth by the synthesis of
growth-promoting substances. These biofertilizers reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and
pesticides and restore the soil's natural nutrients and build organic matter (Vedantu, n.d).
Conclusion
Biofertilizers help to enhance the growth of the plant and soil fertility with the use of
microorganisms. It is very eco-friendly and is used by organic farmers since it does not cause
pollution or harm to crops and soil.
References
BYJU'S.(n.d.).Biofertilizers Definition.https://byjus.com/biology/biofertilizers/
GrytaMagdalena, M.M.(2020).Biofertilizers in agriculture: An overview on concepts, strategies
and effects on soil microorganisms.https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-
biological-sciences/biofertilizers
Itelima, J.U., Bang,W.J., Onyimba, I.A., et al.(2018). A review: biofertilizer; a key player in
enhancing soil fertility and crop productivity. J Microbiol Biotechnol Rep.2(1):22-28.
https://www.pulsus.com/scholarly-articles/a-review-biofertilizer-a-key-player-in-enhancing-soil-
fertility-and-crop-productivity-4328.html
Sciencedirect. (2020). Chemical Fertilizer.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/chemical-fertilizer
toppr.(n.d.).Biofertilizers.https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/microbes-in-human-welfare/
biofertilizers/
Vedantu. (n.d). Why are biofertilizers preferred over chemical fertilizers?
https://www.vedantu.com/question-answer/are-biofertilizers-preferred-over-chemical-fer-class-
11-biology-cbse-5f84fab110ace866687b8c2c
