Beneficial Microbes From Aquatic Ecosystem and Their Use In Organic Farming for Sustainable Development
Aquatic ecosystem is rich in microbial diversity, which have still remained unexplored. Microorganisms, principally bacteria, play diverse and important roles in aquatic ecosystems. These microorganisms form invaluable gene pool and reservoir of undiscovered genetic resources for mankind and merits protection in themselves. Furthermore, microbes are excellent indicators of ecosystem health because they are involved in many soil and water processes, they respond quickly to changes in the aquatic ecosystem. One of the major concerns in today's world is the pollution and contamination of soil. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has caused tremendous harm to the environment. It is well known that the continue use and overuse of petrochemical based fertilizers and toxic pesticides have caused a detrimental effect to our soils, water supplies, foods, animals and even people. An answer to this is the biofertilizer, an environmentally friendly fertilizer now used in most countries. For centuries, peat moss have been recognized soil bacteria, fungi, earthworms, and other bio-organisms to enrich the soil to produce safe, nutritious and abundant crops.
Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow there, firm as weeds among stones.
—Charlotte Brontė (1816–1855)
There is worldwide agreement within organic standards that organic farming systems should maintain or increase soil fertility on a long-term basis. This is achieved through management practices that create soils of enhanced biological activity, such that plants are fed through the soil ecosystem and not primarily through soluble fertilizers added to the soil. Organic farming systems rely to the maximum extent feasible upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, mechanical cultivation, approved mineral-bearing rocks to maintain soil productivity and tilth and to supply plant nutrients (Nesson, R, NSW Agriculture, Yanco). Organic matter content, microbial activity and general soil health are taken as measures of soil fertility. An analysis of organic farming systems in Europe (Stolze et al., 2000) has found that organic farming increased microbial activity by 30-100% and microbial biomass by 20-30%.
Biofertilizers are organisms that enrich the nutrient quality of soil. The main sources of biofertilizers are bacteria, fungi, and cynobacteria (blue-green algae). Biofertilizers will help solve such problems as increased salinity of the soil and chemical run-offs from the agricultural fields. A comparative study of organic, conventional and integrated apple production systems in Washington State from 1994 to 1999 found that organic and integrated systems had higher soil quality and potentially lower negative environmental impact than the conventional system. The data indicated that the organic system ranked first in environmental and economic sustainability, the integrated system second and the conventional system last (Reganold, et. al., 2001). Thus, biofertilizers are important if we are to ensure a healthy future for the generations to come. In nature, there are a number of useful soil micro organisms which can help plants to absorb nutrients. Their utility can be enhanced with human intervention by selecting efficient organisms, culturing them and adding them to soils directly or through seeds. The principles and application of microbes in organic farming has been elaborated in the present paper.
Mitali Dhiman and S. S. Mishra.