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.
Rhizobium + PSB are the major P-biofertilizers used in black gram crops in the form of soil and seed treatments.