ABSTRACT
Fertilizers are always welcomed with open arms because they instantaneously improve crop yield and directly boost soil fertility by adding nutrients to it. But their constant use causes irreparable damage not only to the soil but also to the environment. The recurrent use of inorganic fertilizers is a major cause of pollution of soil as well as water bodies. Fertilizers also make crops more prone to diseases by destroying friendly insects and microbes. This causes a reduction in soil fertility. As a result, many farmers around the world are looking for more eco-friendly options. Bio-organic fertilizers are considered eco-friendly fertilizers, and they are widely used to recover the fertility of the soil, because they not only add nutrients through the natural processes of nitrogen fixation but also enhance the growth of plants. Living microbes are present in biofertilizers, which, when applied to soil, plant surfaces or seed colonize the rhizosphere or the inside of the plant and encourage growth by increasing the supply of primary nutrients to the host plant. Usually biofertilizers are prepared from biological waste and they do not contain any kind of chemicals. Conversely, they contain bacteria and cyanobacteria, i.e. blue-green algae. By synthesizing substances that increase growth, biofertilizers promote plant growth. They are very useful to the soil, as they improve it with micro-organisms that help in producing organic nutrients, which in turn help the soil to fight diseases. They not only enrich the nutrient quality of the soil, but also restore the exhausted nutrients in the soil. Plants have a particular relationship with bacteria and fungi. These provide the plant with nutrition, protection against diseases and the ability to combat negative climatic conditions. Therefore, they are particularly beneficial because they not only increase soil fertility, but also fulfill the nutrient requirements of plants. Biofertilizers are being viewed as the future of fertilizers because of their ability to solve the problems of chemical runoffs from fields and salinity of the soil. Therefore, with time, biofertilizers make the soil richer and also guarantee the safety of the nutrients present in it. To some extent, biofertilizers have also provided answers to soil pollution woes.
