Publisher's Synopsis
Organic farming has emerged as an important priority area globally in view of the growing demand for safe and healthy food and long term sustainability and concerns on environmental pollution associated with indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. Though the use of chemical inputs in agriculture is inevitable to meet the growing demand for food in world, there are opportunities in selected crops and niche areas where organic production can be encouraged to tape the domestic export market. Bio-fertilizers are being essential component of organic farming are the preparations containing live or latent cells of efficient strains of nitrogen fixing, phosphate solubilizing or cellulolytic micro-organisms used for application to seed, soil or composting areas with the objective of increasing number of such micro-organisms and accelerate those microbial processes which augment the availability of nutrients that can be easily assimilated by plants. Biofertilizers play a very significant role in improving soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, both, in association with plant roots and without it, solubilize insoluble soil phosphates and produces plant growth substances in the soil. Nitrogenous biofertilizers harvest atmosphere nitrogen and converts into ammonical form, which in due course is made available to the plants or is released in the soil. Phosphate solutions solubilize fixed forms of phosphorus already present in the soil and make it available for use of plants. Compositing biofertilizers are used for hastening the process of compositing and for enriching its nutrient value. With the introduction of green revolution technologies the modern agriculture is getting more and more dependent upon the steady supply of synthetic inputs (mainly fertilizers) which are products of fossil fuel (coal+ petroleum). Excessive dependence of modern agriculture and the supply of these synthetic inputs and the adverse effects being noticed due to their excessive and imbalanced use has compelled the scientific fraternity to look for alternatives. They are in fact being promoted to harvest the naturally available, biological system of nutrient mobilization. The role and importance of bio-fertilizers in sustainable crop production has been reviewed by several authors. Bio-fertilizers being essential components of organic farming play vital role in maintaining long term soil fertility and sustainability by fixing atmospheric di-nitrogen (N=N), mobilizing fixed macro and micro nutrients or convert insoluble P in the soil into forms available to plants, there by increases their efficiency and availability. Biofertilizer and Organic Farming is designed to meet the need of soil scientists, microbiologists, biologists, students, new entrepreneurs, fertilizer industry, organization engaged in biofertilizers production, training centers and to all those interested in the organic agriculture. Organic farming has emerged as an important priority area globally in view of the growing demand for safe and healthy food and long term sustainability and concerns on environmental pollution associated with indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. Though the use of chemical inputs in agriculture is inevitable to meet the growing demand for food in world, there are opportunities in selected crops and niche areas where organic production can be encouraged to tape the domestic export market. Bio-fertilizers are being essential component of organic farming are the preparations containing live or latent cells of efficient strains of nitrogen fixing, phosphate solubilizing or cellulolytic micro-organisms used for application to seed, soil or composting areas with the objective of increasing number of such micro-organisms and accelerate those microbial processes which augment the availability of nutrients that can be easily assimilated by plants. Biofertilizers play a very significant role in improving soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, both, in association with plant roots and without it, solubilize insoluble soil phosphates and produces plant growth substances in the soil. Nitrogenous biofertilizers harvest atmosphere nitrogen and converts into ammonical form, which in due course is made available to the plants or is released in the soil. Phosphate solutions solubilize fixed forms of phosphorus already present in the soil and make it available for use of plants. Compositing biofertilizers are used for hastening the process of compositing and for enriching its nutrient value. With the introduction of green revolution technologies the modern agriculture is getting more and more dependent upon the steady supply of synthetic inputs (mainly fertilizers) which are products of fossil fuel (coal+ petroleum). Excessive dependence of modern agriculture and the supply of these synthetic inputs and the adverse effects being noticed due to their excessive and imbalanced use has compelled the scientific fraternity to look for alternatives. They are in fact being promoted to harvest the naturally available, biological system of nutrient mobilization. The role and importance of bio-fertilizers in sustainable crop production has been reviewed by several authors. Bio-fertilizers being essential components of organic farming play vital role in maintaining long term soil fertility and sustainability by fixing atmospheric di-nitrogen (N=N), mobilizing fixed macro and micro nutrients or convert insoluble P in the soil into forms available to plants, there by increases their efficiency and availability. Biofertilizer and Organic Farming is designed to meet the need of soil scientists, microbiologists, biologists, students, new entrepreneurs, fertilizer industry, organization engaged in biofertilizers production, training centers and to all those interested in the organic agriculture. Organic farming has emerged as an important priority area globally in view of the growing demand for safe and healthy food and long term sustainability and concerns on environmental pollution associated with indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. Though the use of chemical inputs in agriculture is inevitable to meet the growing demand for food in world, there are opportunities in selected crops and niche areas where organic production can be encouraged to tape the domestic export market. Bio-fertilizers are being essential component of organic farming are the preparations containing live or latent cells of efficient strains of nitrogen fixing, phosphate solubilizing or cellulolytic micro-organisms used for application to seed, soil or composting areas with the objective of increasing number of such micro-organisms and accelerate those microbial processes which augment the availability of nutrients that can be easily assimilated by plants. Biofertilizers play a very significant role in improving soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, both, in association with plant roots and without it, solubilize insoluble soil phosphates and produces plant growth substances in the soil. Nitrogenous biofertilizers harvest atmosphere nitrogen and converts into ammonical form, which in due course is made available to the plants or is released in the soil. Phosphate solutions solubilize fixed forms of phosphorus already present in the soil and make it available for use of plants. Compositing biofertilizers are used for hastening the process of compositing and for enriching its nutrient value. With the introduction of green revolution technologies the modern agriculture is getting more and more dependent upon the steady supply of synthetic inputs (mainly fertilizers) which are products of fossil fuel (coal+ petroleum). Excessive dependence of modern agriculture and the supply of these synthetic inputs and the adverse effects being noticed due to their excessive and imbalanced use has compelled the scientific fraternity to look for alternatives. They are in fact being promoted to harvest the naturally available, biological system of nutrient mobilization. The role and importance of bio-fertilizers in sustainable crop production has been reviewed by several authors. Bio-fertilizers being essential components of organic farming play vital role in maintaining long term soil fertility and sustainability by fixing atmospheric di-nitrogen (N=N), mobilizing fixed macro and micro nutrients or convert insoluble P in the soil into forms available to plants, there by increases their efficiency and availability. Biofertilizer and Organic Farming is designed to meet the need of soil scientists, microbiologists, biologists, students, new entrepreneurs, fertilizer industry, organization engaged in biofertilizers production, training centers and to all those interested in the organic agriculture.
