How to Use Bio Fertilizers

General Rules:

• Biofertilizer product must contain good effective strain in appropriate population and should be free from contaminating microorganisms.
• Select right combination of biofertilizers and use before expiry date.
• Use suggested method of application and apply at appropriate time as per the information provided on the label.
• For seed treatment adequate adhesive should be used for better results.
• For problematic soils use corrective methods like lime or gypsum pelleting of seeds or correction of soil pH by use of lime.
• Ensure the supply of phosphorus and other nutrients.

Precautions to take while using biofertilizers

• Biofertilizer packets need to be stored in cool and dry place away from direct sunlight and heat.
• Right combinations of biofertilizers have to be used.
• As Rhizobium is crop specific, one should use for the specified crop only.
• Other chemicals should not be mixed with the biofertilizers.
• While purchasing one should ensure that each packet is provided with necessary information like name of the product, name of the crop for which intended, name and address of the manufacturer, date of manufacture, date of expiry, batch number and instructions for use.
• The packet has to be used before its expiry, only for the specified crop and by the recommended method of application.
• Biofertilizers are live product and require care in the storage
• Both nitrogenous and phosphatic biofertilizers are to be used to get the best results.
• It is important to use biofertilizers along with chemical fertilizers and organic manures. Biofertilizers are not replacement of fertilizers but can supplement plant nutrient requirements.

List of various bio fertilizer strain and their benefits in crops

Name	Crops suited	Benefits usually seen	Remarks
Rhyzobium	Legumes like pulses, groundnut, soybean	10-35% yield increase, 50-200 kg N/ha.	Fodders give better results. Leaves residual N in the soil.
Azotobacter	Soil treatment for non- legume crops including dry land crops	10-15% yield increase- adds 20-25 kg N/ha	Also controls certain diseases.
Azospirillum	Non-legumes like maize, barley, oats, sorghum, millet, Sugarcane, rice etc	10-20% yield increase	Fodders give higher/enriches fodder response. Produces growth promoting substances. It can be applied to legumes as co-inoculant
Acetobacter	Soil Application for Sugarcane, Sweet potato, Sweet Sorghum	30 kg/N/Hectare Sugarcane increases 15 to 20 ton yield/Acre	Specially applied for sugarcane crops.
Phosphate Solubilizers	Soil application for all crops	5-30% yield increase	Can be mixed with rock phosphate.
Blue-green algae and Azolla	Rice/wet lands	20 -30 kg N/ha, Azolla can give biomass up to 40-50 tonnes and fix 30-100 kg N/ha	Reduces soil alkalinity, can be used for fishes as feed. They have growth promoting hormonal effects.
Microhizae (VAM)	Many trees, some crops, and some ornamental plants	30-50% yield increase , enhances uptake of P, Zn, S.	Usually inoculated to seedlings.

Do and Don’t for Bio fertilizer usage

Do	Don’t
Keep Bio-fertilizers bottles away from direct heat and sunlight. Store it in cool and dry place.	Don’t store Bio-fertilizers bottles under heat and sunlight
Sell only Bio-fertilizers bottles which contain batch number, the name of the crop on which it has to be used, the date of manufacture and expiry period.	Don’t sell Bio-fertilizers bottles after their expiry period is over.
If the expiry period is over, then discard it as it is not effective.	Don’t prick holes into the bottles or puncture them to pour the content
Keep Bio-fertilizers bottles away from fertilizer or pesticide containers and they should not be mixed directly.	Do not mix the Bio-fertilizers with fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers.

Seed Treatment :

Crop	Recommended Bio-fertilizer	Application method	Quantity to be used
Field crops Pulses Chickpea, pea, Groundnut, soybean, beans, Lentil, lucern, Berseem, Green gram, Black gram, Cowpea and pigeon pea	Rhizobium	Seed treatment	200ml/acre
Cereals Wheat, oat, barley	Azotobacter/Azospirillum	Seed treatment	200ml/acre
Rice	Azospirillum	Seed treatment	200ml/acre
Oil seeds Mustard, seasum, Linseeds, Sunflower, castor	Azotobacter	Seed treatment	200ml/acre
Millets Pearl millets, Finger millets, kodo millet	Azotobacter	Seed treatment	200ml/acre
Maize and Sorghum	Azospirillum	Seed treatment	200ml/acre
Forage crops and Grasses Bermuda grass, Sudan grass, Napier Grass , ParaGrass, StarGrass etc.	Azotobacter	Seed treatment	200ml/acre
Other Misc. Plantation Crops Tobacco	Azotobacter	Seedling treatment	500ml/acre
Sugarcane and Sweet Potato	Acetobacter	Seed Treatment	500 ml/acre

Soil Treatment:

Crop	Recommended Bio-fertilizer	Application method	Quantity to be used
Field crops Pulses Chickpea, pea, Groundnut, soybean, beans, Lentil, lucern, Berseem, Green gram, Black gram, Cowpea and pigeon pea	Rhizobium	Soil treatment	500ml/acre
Cereals Wheat, oat, barley	Azotobacter/Azospirillum	Soil treatment	500ml/acre
Rice	Azospirillum	Soil treatment	500ml/acre
Oil seeds Mustard, seasum, Linseeds, Sunflower, castor	Azotobacter	Soil treatment	500ml/acre
Millets Pearl millets, Finger millets, kodo millet	Azotobacter	Soil treatment	500ml/acre
Maize and Sorghum	Azospirillum	Soil treatment	500ml/acre
Forage crops and Grasses Bermuda grass, Sudan grass, Napier Grass , ParaGrass, StarGrass etc.	Azotobacter	Soil treatment	500ml/acre
Other Misc. Plantation Crops Tobacco	Azotobacter	Soil treatment	500ml/acre
Tea, Coffee	Azotobacter	Soil treatment	400ml/acre
Rubber, Coconuts	Azotobacter	Soil treatment	2-5 ml/plant
Agro-ForestRY/Fruit Plants All fruit/agro-forestry (herb,shrubs, annuals and perennial) plants for fuel wood fodder, fruits,gum,spice,leaves,flowers,nuts and seeds puppose	Azotobacter	Soil treatment	2-5 ml/plant at nursery
Leguminous plants/ trees	Rhizobium	Soil treatment	1-2 ml/plant
Sugarcane and Sweet Potato	Acetobacter	Soil Treatment	500 ml/acre