Biofertilizer Development

Nantakorn Boonkerd School of Biotechnology, Institute of Agricultural Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

Biofertilizer is defined as a preparation or product containing living or latent cells of microorganismisms that activate the biological process render to form a fertilizer compound or make the unavailable form of elements to be available for plants. Under the scope of this terminology the biofertilizers encompass the formulation of nitrogen fixing microorganisms, phosphate solubilizing microorganisms and cellulolytic microorganisms. The development of biofertilizers for agricultural application have been practiced in the developed countries and in some advanced developing countries. INTRODUCTION The majority of tropical soils deteriorate rapidly under cultivation. The status of plant nutrient of many agricultural lands in developing countries is low, especially in nitrogen and phosphorus. Therefore the application of fertilizers is necessary to increase crop yield. However continue heavy use of chemical fertilizers may effect on environmental condition and soil properties. Moreover the price of chemical fertilizer is expensive and some time not available for farmers. For these reasons, there has been a development of an alternative form of supplying plant nutrient elements which is known as biofertilizer. The term "biofertilizer" is defmed as a preparation or product containing living or latent cells of microorganisms that activate the biological process render to form a fertilizer compound or make the unavailable form of elements to be available for plants. Under the scope of this terminology the biofertilizers will include nitrogen fixing microorganisms, phosphate solubilizing microorganisms and cellulolytic microorganisms. The formulation of biofertilizer to be used for crop production has been done in all aspects of microorganisms involved. BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXING MICROORGANISMS

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the enzymic conversion of atmospheric N2 gas to ammonia which plants can use for growth. Plants need large amounts of nitrogen for growth and the atmosphere comprises about 80 % of nitrogen, but plants are unable to reduce N2 to ammonia themselves. Biological nitrogen fixation becomes attractive to scientists in the developing countries because nitrogen fertilizer is too expensive and unavailable. BNF is restricted to certain prokaryotic microorganisms which are consisted of free living nitrogen fixing bacteria and cyanobacteria, and also in symbiotic associations with higher plants such as Rhizobium or Bradyrhizobium-Legume, Azolla-Anabaena and Frankia-Actinorhizal plants The most significant amount of N fixed was found only in root nodule symbioses and the Azolla - Anabaena symbiosis. The N fixed

Nonsymbiotic N2 Fixing Microorganisms

Symbotic Nitrogen Fixing System

2. Frankia and actinorhizal plants

PHOSHATE

SOLUBILIZING

MICROORGANISMS