Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biofertilizers and Biopesticides: Eco-friendly Biological Agents

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Advances in Environmental Biotechnology

Abstract

Chemicals in the form of fertilizers and pesticides have been used in boosting agricultural productivity and crop protection since years. The adverse effects such as environmental toxicity and long residual action resulting from excessive use of these chemicals have prompted the search for nontoxic eco-friendly biological agents. Microbes have emerged as eco-friendly alternate to achieve enhanced plant productivity and protection. Microorganisms colonize rhizosphere/interior of the plant, thereby promoting growth of plants by increasing the availability of essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus and providing growth regulators. Microbes and their supplements also provide protection against various pests and pathogens. Biofertilizers and biopesticides serve as an eco-friendly substitute to toxic chemicals and form an important component of integrated nutrient management system. Efficiency of both biopesticides and biofertilizers can be increased by molecular approaches. The present chapter highlights the role of biofertilizers and biopesticides in crop improvement and hence achievement of sustainable agriculture.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 89.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdelgani ME, Osman AG, Mohamed SS (2003) Restoring soil fertility of desertified through biological nitrogen fixation. In: Sharhan A, Wood WW, Goudie AS, Fowler A, Abdellatiff EM (eds) Desertification in the third millennium. Balkima Publishers, Lisse, pp 335–338

    Google Scholar 

  • Adesemoye AO, Torbert HA, Kloepper JW (2009) Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria allow reduced application rates of chemical fertilizers. Microb Ecol 58:921–929

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aravind R, Kumar A, Eapen SJ, Ramana KV (2009) Endophytic bacterial flora in root and stem tissues of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) genotype: isolation, identification and evaluation against Phytophthora capsici. Lett Appl Microbiol 48:58–64

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aroca R, Ruiz-Lozano JM, Zamarreno AM, Paz JA, García-Mina JM, Pozo MJ, Lopez-Raez JA (2013) Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis influences strigolactone production under salinity and alleviates salt stress in lettuce plants. J Plant Physiol 170:47–55

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arun KS (2007) Bio-fertilizers for sustainable agriculture. Mechanism of P-solubilization, 6th edn. Agribios Publishers, Jodhpur, pp 196–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Askary M, Mostajeran A, Amooaghaei R, Mostajeran M (2009) Influence of the co-inoculation Azospirillum brasilense and Rhizobium meliloti plus 2,4-D on grain yield and N, P, K content of Triticum aestivum (cv. Baccros and Mahdavi). Am Eurasian J Agric Environ Sci 5:296–307

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bailey KL, Pitt WM, Leggett F, Sheedy C, Derby J (2011) Determining the infection process of Phoma macrostoma that leads to bioherbicidal activity on broad leaved weeds. Biol Control 59:268–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhardwaj D, Ansari MW, Sahoo RK, Tuteja N (2014) Biofertilizers function as key player in sustainable agriculture by improving soil fertility, plant tolerance and crop productivity. Microb Cell Fact 13:66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhuvaneshwari K, Kumar A (2013) Agronomic potential of the association Azolla-Anabaena. Sci Res Reporter 3(1):78–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Caballero-Mellado J, Carcaño-Montiel MG, Mascarúa-Esparza MA (1992) Field inoculation of wheat (Triticum aestivum) with Azospirillum brasilense under temperate climate. Symbiosis 13:243–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Çakmakçı R, Dönmez F, Aydın A, Åžahin F (2006) Growth promotion of plants by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria under greenhouse and two different field soil conditions. Soil Biol Biochem 38:1482–1487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carrapico F, Teixeira G, Diniz MA (2000) Azolla as a biofertiliser in Africa: a challenge for the future. Revesta Cincies Agraries 23:120–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen JH (2006) The combined use of chemical and organic fertilizers and/or biofertiliser for crop growth and soil fertility. International workshop on sustained management of the soil-rhizosphere system for efficient crop production and fertilizer. Land Development Department, Bangkok

    Google Scholar 

  • Chianu JN, Nkonya EM, Mairura FS, Akinnifesi FK (2011) Biological nitrogen fixation and socioeconomic factors for legume production in sub-Saharan Africa: a review. Agron Sustain Dev 31:139–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copping LG, Menn Julius J (2000) Biopesticides: a review of their action, applications and efficacy. Pest Manag Sci 56:651–676

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Das K, Dang R (2010) Influence of biofertilizers on stevioside content in Stevia rebaudiana grown in acidic soil condition. Arch Appl Sci Res 2:44–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Deepak B, Wahid AM, Sahoo RK, Tuteja N (2014) Biofertilizers function as key player in sustainable agriculture by improving soil fertility, plant tolerance and crop productivity. Microb Cell Factories 13:66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhanasekar R, Dhandapani R (2012) Effect of biofertilizers on the growth of Helianthus annuus. Int J Plant Animal Environ Sci 2:143–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Erayya JJ, Sajeesh PK, Upadhyay V (2013) Nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV), a potential biopesticide: a review. Res J Agric For Sci 1:30–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao X, Lu X, Wu M, Zhang H, Pan R, Tian J, Li S, Liao H (2012) Co-Inoculation with Rhizobia and AMF inhibited soybean red crown rot: from field study to plant defense-related gene expression analysis. PLoS ONE 7:e33977

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gharib FA, Moussa LA, Massoud ON (2008) Effect of compost and bio-fertilizers on growth, yield and essential oil of sweet marjoram (Majorana hortensis) plant. Int J Agric Biol 10:381–387

    Google Scholar 

  • Gholami A, Shahsavani S, Nezarat S (2009) The effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on germination seedling growth and yield of maize. Int J Biol Life Sci 5:1

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghouse P, Peera SK, Balasubramaniam P, Tajuddin A (2015) Effect of silicate solubilizing bacteria and fly ash on mean leaf erectness of rice (Oryza sativa.) in low, medium and high silicon soils. Int J Appl Biol Pharm Technol 6:133–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Graupner PR, Carr A, Clancy E, Gilbert J, Bailey KL, Derby JA, Gerwick BC (2003) The macrocidins: novel cyclic tetramic acids with herbicidal activity produced by Phoma macrostoma. J Nat Prod 66:1558–1561

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta S, Dikshit AK (2010) Biopesticides: an eco-friendly approach for pest control. J Biopesticides 3:186–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta A, Sen S (2013) Role of biofertilizers and biopesticides for sustainable agriculture. scholar.google.com

  • Hubbard M, Hynes RK, Erlandson M, Bailey KL (2014) The biochemistry behind biopesticide efficacy. Sustain Chem Proc 2:18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hungria M, Campo RJ, Souza EM, Pedrosa FO (2010) Inoculation with selected strains of Azospirillum brasilense and A. lipoferum improves yields of maize and wheat in Brazil. Plant Soil 331:413–425

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hussain N, Mujeeb F, Tahir M, Khan GD, Hassan NM, Bari A (2002) Effectiveness of Rhizobium under salinity stress. Asian J Plant Sci 1:12–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ilyas N, Bano A, Iqbal S, Raja NI (2012) Physiological, biochemical and molecular characterization of Azospirillum spp. isolated from maize under water stress. Pak J Bot 44:71–80

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Isman MB (2000) Plant essential oils for pest and disease management. Crop Prot 19:603–608

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jetiyanon K, Pliabanchang P (2011) Potential of Bacillus cereus strain RS87 for partial replacement of chemical fertilizers in the production of Thai rice cultivars. J Sci Food Agric 92(5):1080–1085

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jilani G, Akram A, Ali RM, Hafeez FY, Shamsi IH, Chaudhry AN, Chaudhry AG (2007) Enhancing crop growth, nutrients availability, economics and beneficial rhizosphere microflora through organic and biofertilizers. Ann Microbiol 57(2):177–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joe MM, Jaleel CA, Sivakumar PK, Zhao CX, Karthikeyan B (2009) Co-aggregation in Azospirillum brasilensense MTCC-125 with other PGPR strains: effect of physical and chemical factors and stress endurance ability. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 40:491–499

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalaiselvi P, Anthoniraj S (2009) In vitro solubilization of silica and potassium from silicate minerals by silicate solubilizing bacteria. J Ecobiol 24:159–168

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalra A, Khanuja SPS (2007) Research and development priorities for biopesticide and biofertiliser products for sustainable agriculture in India. In: Teng PS (ed) Business potential for agricultural biotechnology. Asian Productivity Organisation, Tokyo, pp 96–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Karpagam T, Nagalakshmi PK (2014) Isolation and characterization of phosphate solubilizing microbes from agricultural soil. Int J Curr Microbiol App Sci 3(3):601–614

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kawalekar JS (2013) Role of biofertilisers and biopesticides for sustainable agriculture. J Bio Innov 2(3):73–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan TA, Naeem A (2011) An alternate high yielding inexpensive procedure for the purification of concanavalin A. Biol Med 3(2):250–259

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan TA, Mazid M, Mohammad F (2011a) Ascorbic acid: an enigmatic molecule to developmental and environmental stress in plant. Int J Appl Biol Pharm Technol 2(33):468–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan TA, Mazid M, Mohammad F (2011b) Sulphur management: an agronomic and transgenic approach. J Indus Res Technol 1(2):147–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan TA, Mazid M, Mohammad F (2011c) Role of ascorbic acid against pathogenesis in plants. J Stress Physiol Biochem 7(3):222–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan TA, Amani S, Naeem A (2012a) Glycation promotes the formation of genotoxic aggregates in glucose oxidase. Amino Acids 43(3):1311–1322

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan TA, Mazid M, Ansari SA, Azam A, Naeem A (2012b) Zinc oxide nanoparticles promote the aggregation of concanavalin A. Int J Peptide Res Therapeutics 19:135–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohler J, Caravaca F (2010) An AM fungus and a PGPR intensify the adverse effects of salinity on the stability of rhizosphere soil aggregates of Lactuca sativa Roldan. Soil Biol Biochem 42:429–434

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Macedo MLR, Oliveira CFR, Oliveira CT (2015) Review insecticidal activity of plant lectins and potential application in crop protection. Molecules 20:2014–2033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Majengo CO, Okalebo JR, Lesueur D, Pypers P, Ngétich W, Mutegi E, Mburu MW, Musyoki M (2011) Interaction between nitrogen and phosphorus microbial inoculants on soybean production in Bungoma, Kenya. Afr Crop Sci Conf Proc 10:121–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazid M, Khan TA (2014) Future of bio-fertilizers in Indian agriculture: an overview. Int J Agric Food Res 3:10–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazid M, Khan TA, Mohammad F (2011a) Potential of NO and H2O2 as signaling molecules in tolerance to abiotic stress in plants. J Indus Res Technol 1(1):56–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazid S, Rajkhowa RC, Kalita JC (2011b) A review on the use of biopesticides in insect pest management. Int J Sci Adv Technol 1:169–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazid M, Khan TA, Mohammad F (2011c) Role of Nitric oxide in regulation of H2O2 mediating tolerance of plants to abiotic stress: a synergistic signaling approach. J Stress Physiol Biochem 7(2):34–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazid M, Khan TA, Mohammad F (2011d) Response of crop plants under sulphur stress tolerance: a holistic approach. J Stress Physiol Biochem 7(3):23–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazid M, Khan TA, Mohammad F (2012a) Role of nitrate reductase in nitrogen fixation under photosynthetic regulation. World J Pharm Res 1(3):386–414

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazid M, Khan TA, Mohammad F (2012b) Role of NO in H2O2 regulating responses against temperature and ultraviolet induced oxidative stress in plants. Acta Bio Indica 1(1):1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra DJ, Singh R, Mishra UK, Kumar SS (2013) Role of bio-fertilizer in organic agriculture: a review. Res J Recent Sci 2:39–41

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammadi K, Sohrabi Y (2012) Bacterial biofertilizers for sustainable crop production: a review. J Agric Biol Sci 7:307–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Mondal T, Datta JK, Mondal NK (2015) Chemical fertilizer in conjunction with biofertilizer and vermicompost induced changes in morpho-physiological and bio-chemical traits of mustard crop. J Saudi Soc Agric Sci, DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jssas.2015.05.001

  • Moreno-Sarmiento N, Moreno-Rodriguez LF, Uribe D (2007) Biofertilizantes para la agricultura en Colombia. In: Izaguirre-Mayoral ML, Izaguirre-Mayoral ML, Labandera C, Sanjuan J (eds) Biofertilizantes en Iberoamerica: Visionté cnica, científica y empresarial, vol 1. Denad Internacional, Montevideo, pp 38–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Molina-Favero C, Mónica Creus C, Luciana Lanteri M, Correa-Aragunde N, Lombardo MC, Barassi AC, Lamattina L (2007) Nitric oxide and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria: common features influencing root growth and development. Adv Bot Res 46:1–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naderifar M, Daneshian J (2012) Effect of different nitrogen and biofertilizers effect on growth and yield of Brassica napus L. Int J Agric Crop Sci 4(8):478–482

    Google Scholar 

  • Nargund VB, Amaresh YS, Sreenivas AG, Nadagouda S (2007) Trichoderma harzianum–a potential bioagent for seed and soil borne diseases management in Upper Krishna project command area of Karnataka, India. Int J Agric Sci 3:158–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Naseriad H, Soleymanifard A, Naseri R (2011) Effect of integrated application of biofertilizers on grain yield, yield components and associated traits of maize cultivars. Am Eurasian J Agric Environ Sci 10(2):271–277

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen VS (2006) The Production and Application of Bio-fertilizers in Vietnam. In: Proceedings of International Workshop on Sustained Management of the Soil Rhizosphere System for Efficient Crop Production and Fertilizer Use, Held 16–20 October, Thailand

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolas MF, Hungria M, Arias CAA (2006) Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling nodulation and shoot mass in progenies from two Brazilian soybean cultivars. Field Crop Res 95:355–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olivares J, Bedmar EJ, Sanjuan J (2013) Biological nitrogen fixation in the context of global change. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 26(5):486–494

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ozturk A, Caglar O, Sahin F (2003) Yield response of wheat and barley to inoculation of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria at various levels of nitrogen fertilization. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 166:262–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Patel N, Patel Y, Mankad A (2014) Bio Fertilizer: a promising tool for sustainable farming. Int J Innov Res Sci Eng Technol 3:15, 838–15, 842

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedras MSC, Ismail N, Quail JW, Boyetchko SM (2003) Structure, chemistry, and biological activity of pseudophomins A and B, new cyclic lipodepsipeptides isolated from the biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens. Phytochemistry 62:1105–1114

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raghuwanshi R (2012) Opportunities and challenges to sustainable agriculture in India. NEBIO 3:78–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Raja N (2013) Biopesticides and biofertilizers: ecofriendly sources for sustainable agriculture. J Biofert Biopest 112:1000e112

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajasekaran S, Sundaramoorthy P (2010) Response of organic manures and biofertilizer on germination, growth and yield of selected leguminous corps. J Ecotoxicol Environ Monit 20:161–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramachandran VK, East AK, Karunakaran R, Downie JA, Poole SP (2011) Adaptation of Rhizobium leguminosarum to pea, alfalfa and sugar beet rhizosphere investigated by comparative transcriptomics. Genome Biol 12:106–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ranga Rao GV, Kumar CS, Sireesha K, Lava Kumar P, (2015) Chapter 2 Role of nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) in the management of lepidopteran pests in Asia. In: Sree KS, Varma A (eds) Biocontrol of Lepidopteran pests, Soil Biology 43. Springer Int Publishing, Cham

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao MS, Rajappa U, Chakravarthy AK, Grace GN, Kamalnath M, Prabu P (2015) A frontier area of research on liquid biopesticides: the way forward for sustainable agriculture in India. Curr Sci 108:1590–1592

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts NJ, Morieri G, Kalsi G, Rose A, Stiller J, Edwards A, Xie F, Gresshoff PM, Oldroyd GE, Downie JA, Etzler ME (2013) Rhizobial and mycorrhizal symbioses in Lotus japonicus require lectin nucleotide phosphohydrolase, which acts upstream of calcium signaling. Plant Physiol 161:556–567

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Romero D, De Vicente A, Rakotoaly RH, Dufour SE, Veening JW, Arrebola E, Cazorla FM, Kuipers OP, Paquot M, Pérez-García A (2007) The iturin and fengycin families of lipopeptides are key factors in antagonism of Bacillus subtilis toward Podosphaera fusca. Mol Plant-Microbe Interact 20:430–440

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roychowdhury D, Paul M, Banerjee SK (2015) Isolation identification and characterization of phosphate solubilising bacteria from soil and the production of biofertilizer. Int J Curr Microbiol App Sci 4(11):808–815

    Google Scholar 

  • Åžahin F, Çakmakçı R, Kantar F (2004) Sugar beet and barley yields in relation to inoculation with N2-fixing and phosphate solubilizing bacteria. Plant Soil 265:123–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahoo RK, Ansari MW, Dangar TK, Mohanty S, Tuteja N (2013a) Phenotypic and molecular characterization of efficient nitrogen fixing Azotobacter strains of the rice fields. Protoplasma 251(3):511–523

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahoo RK, Bhardwaj D, Tuteja N (2013b) Biofertilizers: a sustainable eco-friendly agricultural approach to crop improvement. In: Tuteja N, Gill SS (eds) Plant acclimation to environmental stress. Springer, New York, pp 403–432

    Google Scholar 

  • Sahu D, Priyadarshanil I, Rath B (2012) Cyanobacteria – as a potential biofertilizer. CIB Tech J Microbiol 1:20–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Saikia SP, Bora D, Goswami A, Mudoi KD, Gogoi A (2013) A review on the role of Azospirillum in the yield improvement of non leguminous crops. Afr J Microbiol Res 6:1085–1102

    Google Scholar 

  • Santi C, Bogusz D, Franche C (2013) Biological nitrogen fixation in non-legume plants. Ann Bot 111:743–767

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saxena D, Pushalkar S, Stotzky G (2010) Fate and effects in soil of cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis: influence of physicochemical and biological characteristics of soil. The Open Toxicol J 3:133–153

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seiber JN, Coats J, Duke SO, Aaron D (2014) Gross biopesticides: state of the art and future opportunities. J Agric Food Chem 62:11613–11619

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shaheen AM, Rizk FA, Singer SM (2007) Growing Onion Plants Without Chemical Fertilization. Res J Agric Biol Sci 3(2):95–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma P, Sardana V, Kandola SS (2011) Response of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) to Rhizobium inoculation. Libyan Agric Res Centre J Int 2:101–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheng XF, Zhao F, He LY, Qiu G, Chen L (2008) Isolation and characterization of silicate mineral-solubilizing Bacillus globisporus Q12 from the surfaces of weathered feldspar. Can J Microbiol 54(12):1064–1068

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shukla R, Shukla A (2012) Market potential for biopesticides: a green product for agricultural applications. Int J Manag Res Rev 2:91–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh RS, Prasad K (2011) Effect of bio-fertilizers on growth and productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum). J Farm Sci 1(1):1–8

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh S, Singh BK, Yadav SM, Gupta AK (2014) Potential of biofertilizers in crop production in Indian agriculture. Am J Plant Nutr Fert Technol 4:33–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith S, Lakobsen I, Gronlund M, Smith FA (2011) Roles of arbuscular mycorrhizas in plant phosphorus nutrition: interactions between pathways of phosphorus uptake in arbuscular mycorrhizal roots have important implications for understanding and manipulating plant phosphorus acquisition. Plant Physiol 156:1050–1057

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thakore Y (2004) The biopesticide market for global agricultural use. Indus Biotechnol Fall 2006:194–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valadabadi SA, Farahani HA (2011) Investigations of Biofertilizers Influence on Quantity and Quality Characteristics in Nigella sativa L. J Hortic Forestry 3(3):88–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Wani SA, Chand S, Ali T (2013) Potential use of Azotobacter chroococcum in crop production: an overview. Curr Agric Res J 1:35–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woomer PL, Huising J, Giller KE (2014) N2Africa final report of the first phase 2009–2013, p 138

    Google Scholar 

  • Yadav RK, Abraham G, Singh YV, Singh PK (2014) Advancements in the utilization of Azolla-Anabaena system in relation to sustainable agricultural practices. Proc Indian Natl Sci Acad 80:301–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang JW, Kloepper JW, Ryu CM (2009) Rhizosphere bacteria help plants tolerate abiotic stress. Trends Plant Sci 14:1–4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yasari E, Patwardhan AM (2007) Effects of (Azotobacter and Azospirillum) inoculants and chemical fertilizers on growth and productivity of canola (Brassica napus L.). Asian J Plant Sci, Asian Network for Scientific Information 6(1):77–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Yao L, Wu Z, Zheng Y, Kaleem I, Li C (2010) Growth promotion and protection against salt stress by Pseudomonas putida Rs-198 on cotton. Eur J Soil Biol 46:49–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yosefi K, Galavi M, Ramrodi M, Mousavi SR (2011) Effect of bio-phosphate and chemical phosphorus fertilizer accompanied with micronutrient foliar application on growth, yield and yield components of maize. Aust J Crop Sci 5(2):175–180

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Youssef MMA, Eissa MFM (2014) Biofertilizers and their role in management of plant parasitic nematodes. A review. E3. J Biotechnol Pharm Res 5:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaki MF, Abdelhafez AAM, El-Dewiny CY (2010) Influence of applying phosphate biofertilizers and different levels of phosphorus sources on the productivity, quality and chemical composition of sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.). Aust J Basic Appl Sci 4(2):334–347

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, Candas M, Griko NB, Taussig R, Bulla LA Jr (2006) A mechanism of cell death involving an adenylyl cyclase/PKA signaling pathway is induced by the Cry1Ab toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103:9897–9902

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang N, Kai W, He X, Li S, Zhang Z, Shen B, Yang X, Zhang R, Huang Q, Shen Q (2011) A new bioorganic fertilizer can effectively control banana wilt by strong colonization with Bacillus subtilis N11. Plant Soil 344:87–97

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, 110021, India

    Bhupinder Dhir

Authors
  1. Bhupinder Dhir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bhupinder Dhir .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Ambala, Haryana, India

    Raman Kumar

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Ambala, Haryana, India

    Anil Kumar Sharma

  3. Department of Biotechnology, General Shivdev Singh Diwan Gurbachan Singh Khalsa College, Patiala, Punjab, India

    Sarabjeet Singh Ahluwalia

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Dhir, B. (2017). Biofertilizers and Biopesticides: Eco-friendly Biological Agents. In: Kumar, R., Sharma, A., Ahluwalia, S. (eds) Advances in Environmental Biotechnology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4041-2_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation