CONSTRAINTS IN BIOFERTILIZER PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
The unpredictability of the results after application is a significant feature common to most biofertilizers. The output depends on the manufacturing technology of the biofertilizer and thus consistent improvement in the output of biofertilizers is of essential significance.
While bio-fertilizer machinery is a cost effective and environmentally friendly technology, its application, or execution is restricted by several limitations. These limitations are unawareness regarding the quality of technology, infrastructure, finance, environment, human resources. The various limitations influence biofertilizer manufacturing technology, marketing, and use.
TECHNOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS
Despite substantial development in biofertilizer innovation throughout the years, the advancement in the field of biofertilizer generation innovation isn’t satisfactory. Mechanical requirements looked by both natural and customary ranchers in selection of natural cultivating practices are centered around the accompanying perspectives.
STRAINS FOR PRODUCTION
Using improper, less effective strains for biofertilizer manufacturing can result in inadequate microorganism population and is an important constraint. One of the main limitations is the lack of region-specific strains, because the bio-fertilizers are not merely particular to crops, but are also specific to the soil.
In addition, the strains that are chosen must be compatible and have the capacity to survive in broth and inoculant earners over other strains in a variety of ecological circumstances. The elevated amount of contaminants may be another issue. Therefore, an excellent bio-fertilizer should have a better efficient strain in a suitable population and must be flee from other disease-causing microbes. Moreover, biofertilizers cannot be used in challenging soil (acidic, saline, and alkaline) owing to decreased effectiveness. During times of high temperature, the implementation of bio-fertilizers is also unsuccessful. The biofertilizers are not applied to the soils with unfavorable phosphorous. Lastly, the biofertilizers get mutated dining the process of fermentation, hence raising the produce and cost for quality control. In order to eliminate these undesirable changes, wide research is the need of the hour.
TECHNICAL PERSONNEL
Technically unqualified, inexperienced, and inadequate staff contributes to technological problems with the bio-fertilizer industry. The deficiency of data related to this technique and expertise on the use of bio-fertilizers is a major high-intensity limitation, as fanners are not offered adequate guidance on the implementation elements. Poor organization of the execution procedure and absence of free tune when these biofertilizers are applied during sowing season; absence of understanding of technology of inoculation by additional staff and fanners is another major issue. Most marketing sales staff is not familiar with adequate inoculation methods. Biofertilizers, basically living organisms, require adequate equipment for handling, transportation, and storage.
QUALITY PRODUCTION UNITS
The deficiency of skilled scientific staff in manufacturing unit may result in wrong handling and manipulation during the process of manufacturing.
QUALITY OF CARRIER MATERIAL
The effective biofertilizer implementation can be hampered due to nonavailability of carrier material that is of excellent quality or the use of distinct earner components by different manufacturers without understanding the worth of the products. The unavailability of an appropriate carrier in which bacteria can be multiplied is a significant cause for restriction of biofertilizers shelf life. Selection of a earner material must be done on account of the accessibility and price at the manufacturing site. A good quality earner must have an excellent ability to hold moisture, be free of poisonous substances, and be sterilizable and easily adjustable to pH 6.5-7.0. Under the unfavorable climatic circumstances when both the weather extremes soil prevails, no appropriate carrier material has yet been recognized to support biofertilizer development. Better bacterial growth is achieved in the sterile carrier and gamma irradiation is the best technique of sterilization.
The microbes are having a shelf life of just 6 months in the carrier-based biofertilizers. UY rays and temperatures above 30°C are not tolerated by the microbes. These microbes ‘population density at the moment of manufacturing is only 10s cfu/ml. This count diminishes every day. Therefore, biofertilizers based on carriers prove not to be efficient and common amongst the fanners. The probable steps to alleviate the above-mentioned drawbacks include the use of carriers that are sterile and the installation of a centralized unit of sterilizing equipment; selection of common carrier products based on accessibility and recommendation to manufacturers in distinct nations.
The so-called “liquid biofertilizers” are the option. Liquid bio-fertilizers are distinct liquid formulations that contain not only the preferred microbes with their nutrients, but also the particular protective cells or chemical substances that support the formation of cysts or resting spores for extended the shelf-life and tolerance towards extreme circumstances. The microbes present in this type of biofertilizer have a shelf life of only two years with a number of 109 cfu/ml and this count is kept constant. These can tolerate not only the high temperature (55°C) but also can tolerate ultraviolet radiations. Being fluid formulations, they are very simple and easy to apply in the field. They are used with power sprayers, hand sprayers and fertigation tanks, etc. To develop an appropriate alternative formulations, i.e., liquid inoculants or granular formulations for all bio-inoculants, the new formulations require standardization of the media, inoculation method, etc.
INOCULANT QUALITY
Manufacture of inoculants lacking the knowledge of fundamental techniques of microbiology threatens the good quality of the inoculants, hence the effectiveness of the inoculants. If the coat of the seeds is removed due to the scratching with the biofertilizer solution can lead to reduced germination. Insufficient product formulation may be a severe obstacle to the marketing of these biofertilizers. Therefore, for the good quality input of the biofertilizer, it is need to have improvement in their innovation. The following factors must be taken into account when formulating high-quality inoculants:
• The inoculants should be first identified according to the location of the crop for the particular soil that must fix nitrogen, phosphorous, and zinc solubilizing and absorbing according to distinct climatic circumstances. [1]
INOCULANT SHELF-LIFE
Efficient storage is required for a brief shelf life (generally 6 months). This brief shelf life usually discourages ventures from generating a large quantity of the inoculants that they sell in the markets. The other factor being that fanners also cannot purchase large quantities of the same as they cannot store them for long periods. The countries which import most of then biofertilizers face the problems of shelf life and storage settings due to poor adaptation to local environmental conditions. For example, for nations where temperatures are generally quite high, the bio-fertilizers which need cold storage for an expanded shelf life usually are not appropriate. It is, therefore, not amazing that these products shall not fulfill the standards of quality, likely due to the loss of viability in the inappropriate circumstances of storage. Hence, taking into account the product shelf life, the product formulation is critical with regard to the handling and storage circumstances.
The issues in gr owth of biofertilizer industry are generally related with their low demand because of the absence of knowledge and comprehension of these bio-fertilizers. The production continues to be a challenge in many instances, not only due to the price, but in addition to the limited demand and mediocre distribution systems that might be connected with the specific prerequisite storage and handling conditions. The shelf life of the item, the quality of the carrier equipment, the storage circumstances, handling (e.g., transport), and the existence of contaminants influence the efficiency of the sector and, consequently, the rate of adoption. In order to guarantee product viability over a substantial period of time, it is therefore essential to enhance the shelf life of biofertilizers that is formulated locally under different storage circumstances.
- [1] Application of suitable techniques biotechnology for enhancementof the strains; • Exchange of culture between nations with comparable climate; and • Assesshig then output for a specific crop for the better strains; • In order to prevent the culture from mutants, monitoring of theculture should be done.
