Biofertilizers: A Viable Tool for Future Organic Agriculture

Organic farming acts as alternative nutrient management practice to maintain soil health, environment, and sustainable crop productivity. The major barriers in adoption of organic farming were economic and marketing, educational, infra-structural, technological, and socio-psychological including lack of extension services. Being the essential components of organic farming, biofertilizers play an integral role in replenishing soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen and mobilize fixed macro- and micronutrients to increase their effectiveness and availability. The substances that have living microbes and reside in the area surrounding roots, i.e. rhizosphere, and are involved in enhancing the supply of nutrients to plants are known as biofertilizers. Biofertilizers have a key role in organic agriculture. Organic agriculture is environment-friendly and financially profitable and has many health benefits; organic foods have great market potential, and it could be a great step for sustainable agriculture.