title: Biofertilizers: a potential approach for sustainable agriculture development.
abstract: The worldwide increase in human population raises a big threat to the food security of each people as the land for agriculture is limited and even getting reduced with time. Therefore, it is essential that agricultural productivity should be enhanced significantly within the next few decades to meet the large demand of food by emerging population. Not to mention, too much dependence on chemical fertilizers for more crop productions inevitably damages both environmental ecology and human health with great severity. Exploitation of microbes as biofertilizers is considered to some extent an alternative to chemical fertilizers in agricultural sector due to their extensive potentiality in enhancing crop production and food safety. It has been observed that some microorganisms including plant growth promoting bacteria, fungi, Cyanobacteria, etc. have showed biofertilizer-like activities in the agricultural sector. Extensive works on biofertilizers have revealed their capability of providing required nutrients to the crop in sufficient amounts that resulted in the enhancement of crop yield. The present review elucidates various mechanisms that have been exerted by biofertilizers in order to promote plant growth and also provides protection against different plant pathogens. The aim of this review is to discuss the important roles and applications of biofertilizers in different sectors including agriculture, bioremediation, and ecology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, Tripura University (A Central University), Suryamaninagar, Agartala, Tripura, 799022, India.
authors.forename: Trishna
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mahanty
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, Tripura University (A Central University), Suryamaninagar, Agartala, Tripura, 799022, India.
authors.forename: Surajit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, Assam, 781017, India.
authors.forename: Madhurankhi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goswami
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, Assam, 781017, India.
authors.forename: Purnita
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, 560 052, India.
authors.forename: Bannhi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Bose Institute Centenary Campus, Kolkata, 700054, India.
authors.forename: Abhrajyoti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, Assam, 781017, India. tribedi.prosun@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Prosun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tribedi
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D017753:Ecosystem; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D010710:Phosphates / Q000494:pharmacology; D063245:Plant Development; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D010710:Phosphates
keywords: Biofertilizer; Crop production; Ecosystem; Mode of action of biofertilizer; Sustainable agriculture