Discuss the challenges associated with the production and application of biofertilizers on a large scale. Evaluate the economic feasibility of integrating biofertilizers into mainstream agriculture.
Challenges:
The use of inappropriate, less efficient strains for production of biofertilizers may lead to insufficient population of microorganisms and is a significant constraint. Lack of region-specific strains is one of the major constraints, as biofertilizers are not only crop specific, but soil specific, too.
Benefits:
Biofertilizers are biological preparations of efficient microorganisms that promote plant growth by improving nutrient acquisition. They enhance soil productivity by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, solubilizing soil phosphorus, and stimulating plant growth.
I am the very first one who introduced Pseudomonas fluorescens to India in 1983 and thereby, I jump-started the birth of the Biopesticide industry in India.
Now there are countless number of companies who manufacture and sell P. fluorescens and Bacillus strains for disease management in major crops.
The challenges I have seen are, 1. quality of the manufactured product, 2. Getting a new manufactured registered with the Biopecticide organization of the Government of India. This process could be less tedious.
Still, the biopesticide industry in India has an annual turn over of $25B. There are challenges but there is hope for growth.
These are natural fertilizers which improve the texture of the soil and the yield of plants and also maintain the water holding capacity of the soil. The use of organic fertilizers is also not successful when the temperature is high. Poor application of biofertilizers can be expected if the phosphorus content in the soil is high.
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