ISBN No. : Title of The Book ISBN No.
: Title of The Book
Advanes in Biosciences Advanes in Biosciences
phosphate or by producing hormones, vitamins and other growth
promoters required for plant growth. They are natural fertilizes
Role of bacterial inoculants in crop production which are living microbial inoculants of bacteria, algae, fungi alone
1*
Rajesh Kumar, 2K.P. Pandey, 4Umesh Kumar or in combination and they magnify the availability of nutrients to
Mishra, 4R. C. Mishra, and 3Rohit Shukla. the plants. The role of bacterial bio-inoculants in agriculture has
1 special significance, especially in the current context of grown cost
P.G. Department of Botany, Mahatma Gandhi Government
of chemical fertilizer and their harmful effects on soil health.
Arts College, Mahe, Puducherry.673311.
2
Sarvodaya Mahavidyalaya, Mauaima, Prayagraj, UP
Keywords Human population, Inorganic fertilizers, Soil
3
Biological Product Laboratory, Department of Botany, microflora, Rhizosphere, Bioinoculants
University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, UP.
4
Swami Vivekanand University, Sagar, M.P. Introduction
*
Corresponding author email: rajeshdubey.au@gmail.com One of the contemporary issues of Agriculture is eco-
friendly practices. The current agriculture practices emphasize on
Abstract using hybrid seeds and high yielding varieties that are responsible for
With sharp increase in human population, the demand for the large doses of chemical fertilizers and irrigation. Arbitrary use of
crop has extensively increased which has led to extensive use of chemical fertilizers has led to pollution and contamination of soil and
inorganic fertilizers without consideration of soil health that is a water basins. Due to this soil is being deprived of essential plant
crucial factor for obtaining sustainable high yield. Besides this, the nutrients and organic matter. It has led to reduction of useful micro-
negative effects of inorganic fertilizers on environment along with organisms and insects which indirectly reducing soil fertility and
underground water resources and soil micro-flora are matter of great making crops susceptible to diseases. It is estimated that by 2020, to
concern. The advantageous plant microbe interactions in the achieve the targeted production of 321 million tons of food grain, the
rhizosphere are the primary determinants of plant health and soil necessity of nutrient will be 28.8 million tons, while their availability
fertility and improve long term viability of soil. The vanished will be only 21.6 million tons that is showing a deficit of about 7.2
biological activities in the soil, due to excessive use of chemical million tons, thus depleting feedstock/fossil fuels (energy crisis)
fertilizers, can be restored gradually by incorporating synthetically increasing cost of fertilizers which would be unaffordable to small
multiplied cultures of advantageous microorganisms in the form of and marginal farmers, thus intensifying the depleting levels of soil
bio-inoculants. They produce growth stimulating substances and fertility due to widening gap between nutrient removal and supplies
vitamins and help to maintain soil fertility and suppress the (Bhuvaneshwari and Singh, 2015).
mechanism of pathogen and control diseases which ultimately results Chemical fertilizers which are now being used widely since
in improved yield. As a cost-effective alternative to chemical the green revolution have depleted soil health by making the soil
fertilizers, biofertilizers can help to cut down the high investment ecology inhabitable for soil micro flora and micro fauna which are
required for fertilizer use. Biofertilizers (bacterial-inoculants) are mainly responsible for maintaining soil fertility and providing some
carrier-based micro-organisms which help to boost the productivity essential and augment nutrients to plants. Biofertilizers are the
through biological nitrogen fixation or solubilization of insoluble products containing one or more species of microorganisms which
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