Biofilmed Biofertilizer for sustainable agriculture

Abstract

The pressure due to global population increase and rising environmental damage has the unfortunate consequence that world food production may shortly become inadequate to feed all the mouths of the world. It is therefore indispensable that agricultural productivity be significantly improved within next couple of decades. To achieve this, agricultural practices are approached in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner. Further, the substantial use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in conventional farming has led to the accumulation of harmful chemical remnants and heavy metals in the environment leading to degradation of agroecosystem and incidence of unpredictable chronic diseases in human. Therefore, biofilmed biofertilizers (BFBFs) have become a viable alternative for chemical fertilizers in agriculture. BFBFs, in addition to their fertilizing task, accomplish a variety of processes such as reinstating agroecosystem, maintaining regulated metabolic and biochemical processes, improving soil quality, suppression of pests and diseases, amelioration of plants from stress and synthesis of plant hormones. The consortia of microbes in BFBFs add an array of benefits together for the soil-plant system to support plant growth and development thereby to enhance the yield. Moreover, BFBF itself is a sustainable system which can ensure the sustainability of agroecosystem. Therefore, the use of BFBFs in agriculture would lead to a more eco-friendly approach in crop production with many health, environmental and economic benefits.