February 6, 2006	Monday	Muharram 7, 1427

IT is estimated that one billion people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. That’s roughly 100 times as many as those who actually die from these causes each year.

About 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger-related causes. This is down from 35,000 people about 10 years back and 41,000 about 20 years. Three-fourth of deaths is of children under five.

Famine and wars cause about 10 per cent hunger deaths, although these tend to be the ones you hear about most often. The majority of deaths are caused by chronic malnutrition. Families facing extreme poverty are unable to get enough food.

To increase crop production for overcoming malnutrition, the system relies on the use of chemical fertilizers, while the use of these and other pesticides cause harm to the environment by pollution and contamination in water and soil with common men suffering by other ailments.

Therefore, any increase in population, environmental pollution, water and soil contamination are major concerns today’s world with a reason to search for alternate methods of increasing plant production in an eco-friendly manner, the adequate management of natural, renewable resources and the reduction of chemical inputs.

Chemical fertilizers support the growth and development of a plant if used judiciously. However, it is also true that the bio-fertilizers are safe, and are being used in many countries because of their environmental-friendly properties.

Actually, the bio-fertilizers are 100 per cent natural and organic which enrich the nutrient quality of soil. These are organisms that help in providing and keeping the soil rich with all nutrients and micro-organisms required for plant growth. The bacteria, fungi and blue-green algae (cynobacteria) are its main sources.

Symbiosis of these organisms with plants is the most striking relationship in which the partners derive benefits from each other without any damage/hazard. The disease causing organisms (pathogenic bacteria, fungi etc.,) are totally different to that of those which are non-pathogenic and are used in bio-fertilizers.

The plants and trees (crops and fruit orchards) have a number of relationships with fungi, bacteria, and algae, the most common of which are with mycorrhiza, rhizobium, and cyanophyceae. These are known to deliver a number of benefits including plant nutrition, disease resistance, and tolerance to adverse soil and climatic conditions. These techniques have proved to be successful bio-fertilizers that form a healthy relationship with roots.

The bio-fertilizers can increase the output, improve the quality and it is responsible for healthy agriculture environment. The bio-fertilizers are necessary to support the developing organic, sustainable, green and unpolluted agriculture.

The bio-fertilizers contain a wide range of naturally chelated plant nutrients and trace elements, carbohydrates, amino acids and other growth promoting substances; acts as a soil conditioner by stimulating microbial activity which result in improved air-water relationship, improved fertility and make the soil less prone to compaction and erosion.

The researchers and growers, regularly using these fertilizers have reported an increase in the yield, quality, shelf-life and resistance to environmental stresses such as drought, extreme heat, early frost, pests and disease problems.

According to the report of studies undertaken, the bio-fertilizers contain a variety of beneficial micro-organisms and enzymes which accelerate and improve the plant growth and prevent plants from pests and diseases. Completely fermented organic matters, present in bio-fertilizers improve the physical properties of soils, enrich air aeration, water and nutrients retention capacity and reduce the acidity.

Considerable amount of three major elements such as N, P, K, Mg and trace elements increase the fertilizer efficiency in soil as well as minimize leaching due to rainfall. The hardpans problems in soil due to excessive application of agrochemicals and chemical fertilizer are also overcome. The health and hardiness in a wide variety of plants also improve with bio-fertilizers, by supplying the beneficial microorganisms, humic acid and organic fungi and actinomyces, humic and fulvic acids to the plant root zone.

The beneficial micro-organisms present reduce the plant stress and disease by competing with plant pathogens; whereas, humic acid is a plant bio-stimulant and can increase soil fertility, enhance mocrobial activity and reduce water evaporation.

Bio-fertilizers provide both the macro as well as micro nutrients, required for healthy growth. It improves yield and the quality of agricultural crops, reduces the overall cost of fertilizer and the number and type of pesticide sprays, based on yield because increased plant vigour and a greater resistance to disease, insect attack and frost due to increased protein, found within the plant.

Bio-fertilizers are free from the unpleasant odours, are naturally balanced complete plant food, improve seed germination and thicken the root development, increase bloom set, size of flowers and fruit and the storage life of fruits and vegetables by retarding the loss of protein, chlorophyll and the RNA in produce.

Now-a-days, the bio-fertilizers are widely used in several countries with excellent results in all kinds of plants and trees. The studies on all concerned aspects are still needed. However, there is a dire need to make availabilities of bio-fertilizer and transfer technology to the growers at their doorstep, whatever has been done locally.