Question

Define the term biofertilizers. How does each of the following serve as a biofertilizer?

(a) Ectomycorrhizae (b) Rhizobium (C) Azospirillum

Answer 1

Bio-fertilizers are living micro-organisms of bacterial, fungal and algal origin. Bio-fertilizers fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil and root nodules of legume crops and make it available to the plant.

(a) Ectomycorrhizae- They act as bio-fertilizer as they provide nutrient, water and minerals to the host.

(b)Rhizobium- They are nitrogen-fixing bacteria, they fix atmospheric nitrogen in the form of nitrates in the roots.

(c)Azospirillum- It is the free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria, these are gram negative.