P-biofertilizer
Phosphorus (P) is a macronutrient that plays a vital role in plant
growth and development. Soil has elemental P but it is unavailable to
plants. Chemically produced P-fertilizers are expensive, hence many
farmers could not afford to purchase them to manage P deficits in agricultural
fields. Phosphate solubilizing microbes (PSMs) are a type of beneficial
microorganism that hydrolyzes organic and inorganic insoluble phosphorus
compounds into soluble P that plants can easily absorb. Thus, PSM as
P-biofertilizer offers a suitable alternative to P-fertilizer which is
eco-friendly and cost-effective. Some of the examples of PSM are AM
fungi, Trichoderma, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Pseudomonas, Bacillus,
etc.
AM fungi, Azotobacter, Phosphobacteria are major P-biofertilizers used in mango crops in the form of soil and seedling treatments.