Biofertilizers and biopesticides in sustainable agriculture

Abstract

Green revolution has revolutionized the world agriculture by increasing the yields of food crops by the development of high-yielding varieties, chemical fertilizers, synthetic herbicides, and pesticides. The continuous and excess use of chemical fertilizers has changed the soil characteristics to acidic/alkaline leading to the reduction in the naturally occurring microorganisms in soil that resulted in the stagnation/reduction in crop yields. Use of microorganisms (biofertilizers and biopesticides) as an alternate to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to increase the soil fertility and disease and pest control in agriculture is gaining prominence. Biofertilizers and biopesticides are environmental friendly products and can be used in integrated nutrient management (INM) and integrated pest management (IPM) techniques. This chapter reviews the microorganisms and their role in enhancing soil fertility and disease and pest control for sustainable agriculture.