Role of Bio-fertilizers in Crop Improvement - Crop Improvement: New Approaches and Modern Techniques - page 202

which in turn reduces the amount and cost of chemical fertilizers and thus prevents
the environment pollution from extensive application of chemical fertilizers.
To get better productivity of agricultural lands and to maintain this productiv-
ity, the integrated approach to determine the most favorable plant-microorganism
interaction is important. The bio-fertilizers are thought to be more expensive and
show unpredictable performance. Besides, the effect on the crops is slow, compared
to chemical fertilizers. In order to get potential benefit from bio-fertilizers in com-
mercial agriculture, consistency in their performance is to be improved. Special
care such as mode of application on crops and to keep them effective for extensive
use is needed. As bio-fertilizers contain living organisms, their concert therefore
depends on environment surrounding them, Short shelf life, lack of suitable carrier
materials, susceptibility to high temperature, problems in transportation and storage
of bio-fertilizers are major bottlenecks that are at a standstill and have to be solved
in order to acquire efficient inoculation. The main criteria to take into consideration
in making of bio-fertilizers are microbes' growth profile, types and optimum condi-
tion of organism, and formulation of inoculums, methods of application and storage
of the product are all critical to the success for a sustainable agriculture.
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