• Microbes as Biofertilizers

Types of microorganisms used as

biofertilizers are given
below:
• Rhizobium
1. Rhizobium is known as the most effective
and widely used biofertilizer.
2. Rhizobium, in association with
leguminous plants, fixes atmospheric
nitrogen in forms that can be used by the
plants.
3. Legumes and their symbiotic association
with the rhizobium bacteria result in the
formation of root nodules that fix
atmospheric Nitrogen.
4. Rhizobium population in the soil depends
on the presence of legume crops in a field.
The population of Rhizobium in the soil
diminishes in the absence of legumes.
 Fig: Rhizobium

• Azospirillum
1.Azospirillum is identified to have a close
associative symbiosis with the higher plant
system.
2. These bacteria have an association with
cereals such as sorghum, maize, pearl
millet, finger millet, and many other minor
millets and also fodder grasses.
3. These also provide certain antibiotics
and growth substances to the plant along
with fixing nitrogen.
4. These are not free-living as they live
inside the plant’s roots, where the
atmospheric nitrogen fixation takes
place.
5. Azospirillum can be used in wetland
conditions as it is likely to be suitable for
growth.
6. A pH of 6.0 must be maintained in this
type of biofertilizer for best results.

• Azotobacter
1. These are nitrogen fixers that are
free-living in nature and are found in a
wide variety of upland crops.
2. Besides fixing nitrogen, they also
supply antibiotics and growth elements to
the plant.
3. Unlike Azospirillum, wetland conditions
are unsuitable for these bacterial
biofertilizers to survive.
4. Regular application of Azotobacter is
required as they contain very minimal
fertility.

• Blue-Green Algae (BGA)

1. These are photosynthetic,
nitrogenfixing cyanobacteria that can
only be found in damp and marshy areas.
2. They are free-living in nature and are
of many colours like red, brown and
sometimes even purple.
3. Blue-green algae are also referred to
as rice organisms due to their abundance in
the rice field.
4. Most of the nitrogen fixation BGA are
filamentous, consisting of a chain of
vegetative cells, including specific cells
called heterocysts that function as a
micronodule for synthesis and
nitrogenfixing machinery.
5. One drawback of using them is that
these blue-green algae cannot survive in
acidic soil.
• Mycorrhiza
There is a symbiotic relationship between
fungi and plant roots. They play a
significant role in soil binding and
microbial activity.

Fig: Mycorrhiza biofertiliser (VAM)

1. Vesicular Arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM)
biofertilizer adheres to plant rhizoids
leading to the development of hyphae
 that cause a significant increase in the
rhizosphere.
2. VAM is a unique symbiotic relationship
with the roots of the plant and fungi. It
can enhance the growth and survivabil ity
of plants.
3. VAM biofertilizer is highly beneficial in
organic farming and normal commercial
farming.
4. Mycorrhizal fungi uptakes minerals
from organic matter for the plant.

• Phosphate Solubilizing Microorganisms 1.

Phosphate solubilizing Microbes (PSM) are
useful bacteria that are capable of
solubilizing inorganic phosphorus from
insoluble compounds.
2. Bacterias like Bacillus, Pseudomonas,
and Rhizobium, fungal genera such as
Penicillium, Aspergillus, Actinomycetes, and
Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM)
are some important PSMs.
3. PSMs promote plant growth by
generating phytohormones like auxins,
gibberellins, cytokinins, or polyamides and
the production of plant growth hormones
like IAA and GA.
4. These also help plants to protect
themselves from many pathogens by the
production of antibiotics, hydrogen
cyanide(HCN), and antifungal metabolites.