Use of Biofertilizers in Indian Agricultural System and its Impact

Abstract

The worldwide largest agricultural sector of India experiences various challenges like soil deterioration and chemical fertilizer dependency alongside environment sustainability issues. Biofertilizers represent a promising sustainability solution for agricultural challenges that has become more important every day. Biofertilizers contain active microorganisms of bacterial and fungal origins and algae which serve to improve the fertility levels of soil while enhancing plant development alongside breaking down the dependency on synthetic fertilizers. The research investigates biofertilizer adoption practices within Indian agriculture by analyzing their effects on agricultural land quality and farming output while studying financial benefits and ecological sustainability merits. The advantages of biofertilizers surpass those provided by chemical fertilizers. Biofertilizers boost soil fertility because they activate microbial growth while performing nitrogen fixation and breaking down organic material and dissolving crucial elements of phosphorus. The application of biofertilizers restores damaged microbial communities in soil ecosystems because they treat the natural microbial imbalance caused by chemical fertilizers' overuse. Through their nutrient supplementation biofertilizers enable plants to obtain needed elements directly which consequently diminishes chemical inputs requirements. A mixed-methods method was applied for this study through literature review combined with expert farmer interviews and field tests throughout various Indian territories. This research investigates the application of Rhizobium and Azotobacter and Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria biofertilizers in Indian agriculture where each ingredient enhances soil fertility and boosts plant development. The analysis of economic benefits investigates the financial value of biofertilizer utilization by comparing their costs to those of traditional chemical fertilizers. The research discovered biofertilizers represent an economical choice that gives farmers both economical relief from chemical inputs and maintains practice sustainability for agriculture. The evaluation analyzes the many positive environmental aspects of biofertilizers. The elimination of chemical fertilizers results in reduced water contamination and lower soil degradation and eliminated greenhouse gas production. Biofertilizers function as key instruments for ecological agricultural development because they support soil enhancement and diminish the unfavorable side effects that stem from mainstream farming practices. Biofertilizer adoption faces limitations due to three main factors: farmers' lack of knowledge about biofertilizers, absence of proper distribution systems and farmers' concerns regarding biofertilizer performance in specific environments. The paper ends with suggested actions to boost biofertilizer use in India. Agriprofessionals can enhance biofertilizer adoption by conducting farmer education sessions paired with training programs and creating strong distribution networks and existing policies that provide financial backing for farmers to adopt biofertilizers. Use of biofertilizers contains strong potential as an answer to the problems Indian agriculture currently experiences. Through biofertilizer applications sustainable agricultural. growth will occur while food security improves simultaneously as environmental degradation decreases to support long-term health and productivity across the Indian agricultural sector.