Free living bacteria such as Azotobacter, Bacillus, Clostridium, and Klebsiella live in the soil and fix significant levels of nitrogen without the direct interaction with other organisms. This means that they continuously add nitrogen in the soil and increase nitrogen content either soil cultivated with plants or not. How true is such statement?
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Yasser, yes they live in the soil and fixes atmospheric nitrogen without the direct interaction with plant and other organisms. They are transforming nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into “fixed nitrogen” compounds, such as ammonia, that are usable by plants. It has been found that they can fix up to 60 kg N/ha/year.
From a chemist's perspective, all systems require inputs to sustain them, e.g., energy, and free living organisms must comply with that general principle.
Eric Marques
... So, we could arbitrary announce it as "biofertilizers" because they add nitrogen as a nutrient to the soil. It is right or not?
Yes. Free living N fixing bacteria no need to form nodules in roots to fix N like plant associated N fixing bacteria. They can independently fix N.
All bacteria though indicated as free living are in partnership with fungi especially the mycorrhizae where they reside as communities. Bacteria get energy from the fungi and they provide nitrogen in return in a mutual relationship. So its a unique partnership.
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