Biofertilizers

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Theory

Biofertilizers: Introduction and types and importance of biofertilizers, Biopesticides and bioagents in agriculture and organic farming system, History of biofertilizers production Classification of biofertilizers microorganisms used in biofertilizers production. A study of growth characteristics of various microbes used in biofertilizers production. Nitrogen cycle in Nature. Process of nodule formation ,Role of Nif and Nod gene in Biological Nitrogen fixation, Enzyme nitrogenase and its component, Biochemistry of nitrogen fixation, Cross inoculation groups amongst Rhizobium, Methods used for the studying selection of efficient strain of Rhizobium .Quality standard for biofertilizers different methods of application of biofertilizers, role of microorganisms in decomposition of organic farm wastes, methods of quality control assessment in respect of biofertilizers, Strategies of Mass multiplication and packing Registration of biofertilizers. Strategies of marking and Registration with CIB of bioagents and biopesticides Importance of Trichoderma spp.,

Practical

Equipment, machinery and tools used for biofertilizers,Biopesticides and bioagents production. Preparation of media used for isolation and culturing of biofertilizers : Jensen’s agar, NFb medium, Yeast extract manitol agar, BGA-medium, Pikovaskaya’s medium ; Isolation of Rhizobium from root nodulesIsolation Azotobacter from rhizosphere of cereal crops, Beijernickia, Acetobacter from soil, Azospirillium from roots of graminicious plants, BGA from soil, Mycorrhizae from the roots,PSM sulphur oxidizing microorganisms, ion chealator, potash mobilizers ,organic matter decomposers and their isolation in pure culture form. Estimating the efficiency of Rhizobium through pot culture experiments and through nodulation tests in test tubes and Leonard jar.. Preservation of cultures of these organisms. Production of commercial biofertilizers viz. Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum and Acetobacter : selection of efficient strains, carriers and their sterilization, mother culture preparation, mass multiplication using shake culture method, mixing of culture and carriers and preparation of packets. Production of carrier based and grain based phosphate solubilizing biofertilizers. Methods of mass multiplication of BGA and Azolla. A large scale production of decomposting cultures.