Agriculture is the main occupation in India and about 75% of its population depends directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihood. It is the dominant sector that contributes 18% of the gross domestic product. Thus, agriculture is the foundation of the Indian economy. The maximum share of Indian exports is also from the agriculture sector. As the population of the country is increasing trem- dously, approximately at the rate of 19 million every year over the existing popu- tion of more than 1 billion (approximately 1. 18 billion), the food grain production must necessarily be increased. This can be done by increasing crop production to match the population growth rate of 2. 2% per annum, which is expected to stabilize at 1. 53 billion around 2050. There is no doubt that the Green Revolution in India during the late 1960s brought self-sufficiency in food grain production, mainly through the increase in rice and wheat crop yields – the two main crops of the country which play an important role from food security point of view. However, the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, and the neglect of organic manures for these crops, has resulted in the deterioration of physical, chemical and biological health of the ri- and wheat-growing soils. Owing to the deterioration of the health of these soils, the productivity of the rice–wheat cropping system has now either got reduced or in some places has become constant for the last decade.

Great attention has been paid to reduce the use of conventional chemical fertilizers harming living beings through food chain supplements from the soil environment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative sustainable fertilizers to enhance soil sustainability and agriculture productivity. Biofertilizers are the substance that contains microorganisms (bacteria, algae, and fungi) living or latent cells that can enrich the soil quality with nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, organic matter, etc. They are a cost-effective, biodegradable, and renewable source of plant nutrients/supplements to improve the soil-health properties. Biofertilizers emerge as an attractive alternative to chemical fertilizers, and as a promising cost-effective technology for eco-friendly agriculture and a sustainable environment that holds microorganisms which enhance the soil nutrients' solubility leading a raise in its fertility, stimulates crop growth and healthy food safety. This book provides in-depth knowledge about history and fundamentals to advances biofertilizers, including latest reviews, challenges, and future perspectives. It covers fabrication approaches, and various types of biofertilizers and their applications in agriculture, environment, forestry and industrial sectors. Also, organic farming, quality control, quality assurance, food safety and case-studies of biofertilizers are briefly discussed. Biofertilizers' physical properties, affecting factors, impact, and industry profiles in the market are well addressed. This book is an essential guide for farmers, agrochemists, environmental engineers, scientists, students, and faculty who would like to understand the science behind the sustainable fertilizers, soil chemistry and agroecology.

Rice based cropping system is the major cropping system practised in India which includes the rotation of crops involving rice, pulses, oil seeds, cotton, sugar cane, green manures etc., The rice based cropping system offers lot of scope for the effective utilization of a wide range of biofertilizers such as Azolla, BGA, Azospirillum, Rhizobium Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus and other heterotrophic N2 fixing bacteria which help to increase the yield by reducing the cost of cultivation. It thus has dual advantages of being sustainable without endangering the environment and being highly cost effective. This book ‘Biofertilizer Technology for Rice Based Cropping System’ deals with the current developments in the basic and applied aspects of biofertilizers used in the rice based cropping including the novel endophytic diazotrophs viz., Azorhizobium caulinodans, Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus, Pink Pigmented Facultative Methylotrophs (PPFM) etc. The role of P, Zn and Si solubilizers in the nutrient dynamics of the rice ecosystem has also been covered. The strategies for production and distribution of quality inoculants for rice based cropping system has been given due importance with a focus on the molecular approaches for rapid and reliable quality control of biofertilizers. This book can be considered as a monograph on the usage of biofertilizers in rice based cropping system. It will be very useful for the scientists, researchers, students and extension workers involved in the management of crops in rice based cropping system .

Bio-Fertilizers are natural fertilizers which are microbial inoculants of bacteria, algae, fungi alone or in combination and they augment the availability of nutrients to the plants. The use of bio-fertilizers, in preference to chemical fertilizers, offers economic and ecological benefits by way of soil health and fertility to farmers. In view of the immense potential of bio-fertilizer technology covers all major types of bacterial fertilizers. This book will be of use and interest to consultants, researchers, libraries, entrepreneurs, manufacturers of bio-fertilizer and for those who wants to venture in to this field.

Biofertilizers, Volume One: Advances in Bio-inoculants provides state-of-the-art descriptions of various approaches, techniques and basic fundamentals of BI used in crop fertilization practices. The book presents research within a relevant theoretical framework to improve our understanding of core issues as applied to natural resource management. Authored by renowned scientists actively working on bio-inoculant, biofertilizer and bio-stimulant sciences, the book addresses the scope of inexpensive and energy neutral bio-inoculant technologies and the impact regulation has on biofertilizer utilization. This book is a valuable reference for agricultural/environmental scientists in academic and corporate environments, graduate and post-graduate students, regulators and policymakers. - Informs researchers on how to develop innovative products and technologies that increase crop yields and quality while decreasing agricultural carbon footprints - Focuses on production, protocols and developments in the processing of bio-inoculants, bio-stimulants and bio-fertilizers - Summarizes the biologically active compounds and examines current research areas

With the introduction of green revolution technologies, the modern agriculture is getting more and more dependent upon the steady supply of synthetic inputs. Intensive agriculture with the use of chemical fertilizers in large amount has, no doubt, resulted in manifold increase in the productivity of farm commodities but the adverse effect of these chemicals are clearly visible on soil structure, micro flora, quality of water, food and fodder. At this critical juncture, biofertilizers are useful supplement to chemical fertilizers. Organic farming has emerged as the only answer to bring sustainability to agriculture and environment. Biofertilizers is also an ideal for practicing organic farming. Biofertilizers are the most advanced biotechnology necessary to support developing organic Agriculture, sustainable agriculture, green agriculture and non-pollution agriculture. Bio Fertilizer are natural and organic fertilizer that helps to keep in the soil with all the nutrients and live microorganisms required for the benefits of the plants. Today product like biofertilizers using the biotechnology techniques have proved that biological control is widely regarded as a desirable technique for controlling insects and pests, due to its minimal environmental impact and its avoidance of problems of resistance in the vectors and agricultural pests. The increasing demand for biofertilizers and the awareness among farmers and planters in the use of biofertilizers have paved way for the fertilizer manufacturers and new entrepreneurs to get into biofertilizers production. It is one of the important components of integrated nutrient management, as they are cost effective and renewable source of plant nutrients to supplement the chemical fertilizers for sustainable agriculture. This book gives a detailed process on manufacture of biofertilizers & organic farming. It contains chapters on biofertilizers, role of biofertilizer in crop production, production and distribution of biofertilizer, organic farming, method of organic farming, weed and pest management, and many more. This book will be very helpful to soil scientists, microbiologists, biologists, students, new entrepreneurs, fertilizer industry, organization engaged in biofertilizers production, training centres and to all those interested in the efficient use and recycling of wastes, resource management and sustainable farming.

This new volume, Biofertilizers and Biopesticides in Sustainable Agriculture, presents strategies for the management of soil and crop diseases. Microbes have attracted worldwide attention due to their role in disease management and remediation of polluted soils. Taking a sustainable approach, this book explores the means of integrating various microbial management approaches to achieve the desired levels of crop yield under both conventional soils and neglected soils through the use of biopesticides and other botanicals as well as biomolecules. This book also presents a broad and updated view of molecular nitrogen fixation and phosphate-solubilizing and sulfur-transforming microbes for nutrition of crops in relation to the role of metal tolerant microbes in providing protection to plants grown in metal-contaminated soils. The preparation and application of biofertilizers, utilization of household waste materials, and use of genetically modified microorganisms (GMOs) in plant growth and development are also well discussed in the volume.