Organic farming

Microbial inoculants or Biofertilizer are an important components of organic farming, which help to nourish
the crops through required nutrients. These microbes help to fix atmospheric nitrogen, solubilize and
mobilize phosphorus, translocate minor elements like zinc, copper, etc., to the plants, produce plant
growth promoting hormones, vitamins and amino acids and control plant pathogenic fungi, thus helping to
improve the soil health and increase crop production. Biofertilizers like Rhizabium, azotobacter,
Azospirillum and blue green algae (BGA) are in use since long. These organisms fix atmospheric nitrogen
and supply it to plants. Hence, bio fertilizers to some extent. The bacterial biofertilizers contribute 20-30 kg
N/ha/season. Rhizobium inoculant is used for leguminous crops. Azotobacter can be used with crops like
wheat, maize, mustard, cotton, potato and other vegetable crops. Azospirillum inoculants are
recommended mainly for sorghum, millets, maize, sugarcane and wheat. Blue green algae belonging to
genera Nostoc, Anabaena, tolypothrix and Aulosira fix atmospheric nitrogen and are used as inoculants for
paddy crop grown both under upland and low land conditions. However, the inoculants are most effective
under low land rice cultivation and contribute 20-30 kg N per ha per season with better quality of grains.
Anabaena in association with water fern Azolla contributes nitrogen up to 60 Kg/ha/season and also
enriches soils with organic matter.