Biologicals are crucial for both protecting and growing crops and are rapidly becoming one of the top product categories in agriculture. They are used extensively around the world on various crops, including vegetables, legumes, cereals, fruits and nuts. In the context of soil and agriculture, "biologicals" refer to a range of products and practices that use living organisms or their byproducts to enhance soil health, boost plant growth, and manage pests and diseases.
Biologicals help farmers get more sustainable and better alternatives for crop production and crop protection measures. They contribute to the safety of the environment and of human health. Biologicals have the potential to significantly boost agricultural resilience, helping to address food security challenges. As demand for these products grows, they offer a promising future for agriculture and a strong market opportunity.
The primary objective of employing biologicals in agriculture is to enhance soil health. Biologicals, which contain living microorganisms, contribute to an increase in the microbial diversity and activity within the soil. This enrichment improves soil fertility and structure, creating a more nutritious environment that supports optimal plant growth. Healthy soil fosters robust plant development, leading to higher yields of nutritious produce, including fruits, vegetables, and cereals. Furthermore, well-nourished plants exhibit greater resistance to diseases, thereby reducing the incidence of plant pathogens. Additionally, biologicals are typically exempt from Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), facilitating the export of crops treated with these products. This attribute enhances their appeal in global markets and supports sustainable agricultural practices.
Biologicals in agriculture refer to naturally derived products used to enhance plant growth, improve soil health, and manage pests and diseases. They include a wide range of substances, such as biofertilizers, microbial inoculants, biostimulants, and biopesticides, which can replace or supplement chemical inputs in farming
In essence, biologicals in agriculture harness the power of living organisms and their byproducts to create a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach to farming.
Fertility enhancers aim to improve soil fertility and nutrient availability, promoting healthy plant growth. We are going to discuss Fertility enhancers in detail. They can be further divided into several categories:
Biostimulants
Bioinoculants
Biofertilizers
Biostimulants
A plant bio-stimulant is any substance or microorganism applied to plants with the aim to enhance nutrition efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance and/or crop quality traits, regardless of its nutrients content.
Biostimulators are substances that enhance plant growth and development by improving nutrient uptake, increasing resilience to stress, and promoting beneficial microbial activity in the soil. They can be derived from natural sources, such as seaweed extracts, humic acids, or microbial inoculants, or can be synthetic compounds designed to mimic natural growth-promoting processes.
These products improve plant growth, stress tolerance, and yield by enhancing natural processes. They might include extracts from seaweed, humic substances, or beneficial microbes that stimulate plant health and development. Biostimulants strengthen the natural defense mechanism of a crop. This can lower incidences of pests and diseases.
‘Biostimulants are available in a variety of formulations and with varying ingredients but are generally classified into five categories:
Microbial inoculants – Biofertilizers and biocontrol agents
Humic acids- Humic substances (HS) are natural constituents of the soil organic matter, resulting from the decomposition of plant, ani-mal and microbial residues, but also from the metabolic activity of soil microbes using these substrates.
Fulvic acids
Protein hydrolysates and amino acid
Seaweed extracts- The use of fresh seaweeds as source of organic matter and as fertilizer is ancient in agriculture, but biostimulant effects have been recorded only recently. Seaweeds act on soils and on plants
Using biostimulators can be a key strategy in modern agriculture to promote sustainable practices and improve crop resilience.
Biofertilizers
A biofertilizer is a product that contains living microorganisms, which, when applied to seeds, plant surfaces, or soil, colonize the rhizosphere or plant interiors. These microorganisms promote plant growth by increasing the availability of essential nutrients. Biofertilizers contribute nutrients through natural processes such as nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, and the production of growth-promoting substances. By restoring the soil’s natural nutrient cycle and enhancing soil organic matter, biofertilizers support the growth of healthy plants while improving soil sustainability and overall health.
Types of Biofertilizers:
Nitrogen Biofertilizers: Nitrogen biofertilizers are natural fertilizers that enhance the nitrogen content in the soil by utilizing specific microorganisms. This type of fertilizer is usually associated with symbiotic and non-symbiotic microbes. These biofertilizers help improve soil fertility, promote plant growth, and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers. These groups of organisms worked by fixing atmospheric N and convert them to plant usable forms in the soil and root nodules of leguminous plants for plants uptake. However, these biofertilizers are crop specific.
Free-Living Nitrogen Biofertilizers: are microorganisms that can fix atmospheric nitrogen independently in the soil, without the need for a host plant. Examples Azotobacter, Azospirillum and Clostridium.
Symbiotic: Symbiotic nitrogen biofertilizers are beneficial microorganisms, that form mutualistic relationships with host plants to fix atmospheric nitrogen. In these relationships, the microorganisms provide nitrogen to the plant, while the plant supplies carbohydrates and other nutrients to the microbes. For example, Rhizobium
Phosphate solubilizing biofertilizer (PSB):
Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are microorganisms that play a crucial role in making phosphorus available to plants by converting insoluble forms of phosphorus into soluble forms that plants can absorb. This process is accomplished by microorganisms through organic acids secretion which lower the soil pH and enhance the dissolution of unavailable bound forms of (P) thereby making them available to plants.
For example:
Bacillus spp.: Known for their ability to solubilize phosphorus and produce growth-promoting substances.
Pseudomonas spp.: Effective in solubilizing phosphate and improving plant growth under various conditions.
Mycobacterium spp.: These bacteria can solubilize phosphate and enhance nutrient availability.
Rhizobacteria: Many species associated with plant roots can effectively solubilize phosphorus.
Potash Mobilizing Biofertilizers (KSB):
Potash mobilizing biofertilizers are specialized microbial formulations that enhance the availability of potassium (K) in the soil, promoting plant growth and improving nutrient uptake. Potassium is essential for various plant processes, including water regulation, enzyme activation, and photosynthesis. These biofertilizers often contain beneficial bacteria or fungi that can solubilize potassium from soil minerals or organic matter, making it more accessible to plants.
For examples- Bacillus edaphicus strain, Bacillus muciloginosus, Acidothiobacillus ferooxidans etc.
Others: In addition to nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), there are several other types of biofertilizers that can enhance soil fertility and plant health:
Sulfur Biofertilizers: These contain sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that help convert sulfur into a form that plants can use, which is essential for protein synthesis and enzyme function. For example - Thiobacillus species
Zinc Biofertilizers: Specific microorganisms can help solubilize zinc from soil minerals, making it more available to plants. Zinc is crucial for various biochemical processes. For example - Pseudomonas fluorescens
Iron Biofertilizers: Certain bacteria and fungi can help solubilize iron, improving its availability in alkaline soils where it is often deficient. For example- Bacillus megaterium
Organic Matter Enhancers: Biofertilizers containing decomposer microbes can help break down organic matter, enhancing soil structure and nutrient content. For example- Trichoderma species
Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR): These bacteria can promote growth through various mechanisms, including the production of growth hormones, enhancing root development, and suppressing plant pathogens. For example: Pseudomonas sp, Streptomyces, Erwinia, Azospirillum sp.
Bioinoculants
Specific formulations of beneficial microorganisms applied to soil or plants to establish beneficial relationships that enhance plant growth and health. They include both biofertilizers and biostimulators, as they can provide nutrients and stimulate growth. However, the term often emphasizes the introduction of specific microorganisms to improve plant performance.
Bioinoculants are formulations comprised of microbes used as a tool in green agriculture. Microbial inoculants enhance the uptake of macro and micronutrients, and the mechanisms involved in this process could be because of the increases in root biomass, root surface area, or root hairs.
Microbial inoculants, also known as soil inoculants or bioinoculants, are agricultural amendments that use beneficial rhizosphere or endophytic microbes to promote plant health. Because of their multiple roles such as nutrient supplementation, plant growth promotion, soil health enhancement, disease suppression, etc., can provide resilience, especially under harsh environmental conditions.
Nurture Growth Biofertilizer
Plant nutrients are a key component of sustainable agriculture. Soils carry natural reserves of plant nutrients, but these reserves are unavailable to plants with only a slight portion released each year through biological activity or chemical processes. This release is to meet crop nutrient requirement. Agriculture soils are continuously losing their quality and physical properties as well as their chemical (imbalance of nutrients) and biological health due to agrochemicals.
Plant-associated microbes with their plant growth- promoting traits have enormous potential to solve these challenges and play a crucial role in enhancing plant biomass and crop yield under greenhouse and field conditions.
A fertile soil should possess all the macro and micronutrients as these minerals promote plant nutrition. Good fertility is basic for successful plant growth, and the approach of fertilizes and manures is a necessary graining activity. The maintenance of sufficient levels of nutrients in soil is important for healthy plant growth. Chemical fertilizers solitary does not contribute all the nutrients in balanced quantities needed by the plants. This results in reduction of soil organic matter content, which in turn, affects the biological activities and physical properties of the soil.
Soil is the base of agriculture, and it contains number of microorganisms. Microbes are delicate organisms and susceptible to environmental changes. Excess use of chemicals to supply nutrients or plant protection can hinder soil biological process and thus may cause a threat to microorganisms. To reduce the harm caused by synthetic and chemicals, alternative inputs of organic and microbial origin can be used which will ensure environmental safety and agricultural sustainability. In this context, Nurture Growth Biofertilizer is a great biological product for farmers to maintain the soil microbial content as well as increase the production.
In this context Nurture Growth Biofertilizer is a great biological product for farmers to maintain the soil microbial content as well as increase the production.
Nurture Growth Biofertilizer is an innovative Microbial Organic Fertilizer that has helped commercial growers to increase their crop yield, improve their soil fertility, and eliminate harmful chemicals.
By leveraging these biological tools, farmers can work towards more sustainable agricultural practices, reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals, and support soil and ecosystem health.
Nurture Growth Biofertilizer is world's first and only biofertilizer which has both bioinoculant and biostimulant benefits. Main feature of Nurture Growth Biofertilizer which differentiates it from others is that most of the consortiums biological products are only able to combine a few microbes, but our biofertilizer contains a consortium of different microbes together liquid form. These microbes are present in very high concentration making this product more effective. For Nitrogen fixation, this product contains both symbiotic and free-living Nitrogen fixing bacteria as Rhizobacter and Azotobacter. Phosphorus solubilization and Potash mobilizing microbes as Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus (AMF) are also present in Nurture Growth Biofertilizer.
These microbes have vast microbial effect on plants and soil which helps plants to grow healthy, more resistant and sustainable by increasing crop productivity and maintaining soil health. Nurture Growth Biofertilizer is a multi-purpose product and can be used for seedling root dip, seed treatment, soil amendment and applied on various crops. The micro-organisms determine the amount of nutrients that is required and supplies it to them.
The other important property of Nurture Growth Biofertilizer is longer shelf life. Its shelf life is 3 years, and it does not require special storage such as refrigeration. Nurture Growth Biofertilizer is made of 100% natural ingredients and is certified an as organic fertilizer by OMRI and Pro-Cert in Canada and the USA, growers can be reassured that their crops follow organic standards.
Understanding Biological Inputs
Biological fertilizers are gaining momentum and playing an increasingly vital role in boosting crop productivity. More growers in North America are adopting them in their crop input programs and seeing widespread benefits.
Research shows that biological fertilizers, such as Nurture Growth Biofertilizer Fructus, can improve your growing operation. However, they differ is less understood. Let's take a closer look at the unique benefits and functions of biofertilizers, bio-stimulants, and bioinoculants.
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Understanding Biologicals for Sustainable Agriculture Webinar PDF
References:
Plant biostimulants: Definition, concept, main categories and regulation Scientia Horticulturae Volume 196, 30 November 2015, Pages 3-14
Brahmaprakash, G.P., Sahu, P.K., 2012. Biofertilizers for Sustainability. J. Indian Inst. Sci. 92, 37–62.
Calvo, P., Nelson, L., Kloepper, J.W., 2014. Agricultural uses of plant biostimulants. Plant Soil 383, 3–41
Shoresh, M., Harman, G.E., Mastouri, F., 2010. Induced systemic resistance and plant responses to fungal biocontrol agents. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 48, 21–43.
Olivares, F.L., Aguiar, N.O., Rosa, R.C.C., Canellas, L.P., 2015. Substrate biofortification in combination with foliar sprays of plant growth promoting bacteria and humic substances boosts production of organic tomatoes. Sci. Hortic. 183, 100–108.
Biofertilizer for crop production and soil fertility Academia Journal of Agricultural Research 6(8): 299-306, August 2018 Sneha et al
Bioinoculants—Natural Biological Resources for Sustainable Plant Production. Sagar et al 2021 Microorganism
Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria as Bioinoculants: Attributes and Challenges for Sustainable Crop Improvement Ma. del Carmen Orozco-Mosqueda et al 2021 Agronomy
Blogger Biography
Ankita is a Senior Science Officer at Nurture Growth Biofertilizer. She has over 9 years of experience in Agriculture research and extension. Her areas of specialization encompass Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Plant Protection, Organic farming, Biofertilizers, Organic Fertilizers, and Biocontrol agents.
She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology and a master's degree in Botany with a specialization in Plant Pathology. Her doctoral research involved an in-depth study of lentil wilt and its management through various practices.
She has extensive experience in organizing training programs on Organic and Natural farming techniques for farmers, agricultural growers, students, and other stakeholders.
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