Current status of bio-fertilizers development, farmers' acceptance and their utilization in Malaysia

Chemical fertilizers have been used extensively throughout most of agriculture Asia since the green revolutions in the early 1970’s. The emphasis on chemical fertilizers can cause the injudicious applications such as disturbing living biosphere, deteriorating environment quality and hazardous to the human health. Concerns about these problems, microbial inoculants are used as a biofertilizers that considered as an alternate source to meet the nutrient requirement of crops. Microorganisms including rhizobium, azospirillium, mycorrhiza and P-solubilizing bacteria are continuously being isolated from various ecosystems. Data from experiments and farmers’ plot trials show that the use of biofertilizers give good plant growth and yield, and causes the soil to become more friable which is favorable for soil microorganisms and plant roots.