Biofertilizer vs Chemical Fertilizer: Difference
and Comparison
[Soumika Das, Sem-III, MCBM23F460]
What is Biofertilizer?
A biofertilizer is a type of fertilizer that contains living cells of
microorganisms. They are naturally obtained and enhance
the overall productivity of the farm and the yields.
Biofertilizers have a relatively long-lasting effect on soil as
well as plants. Different types of biofertilizers are suitable for
different types of plants. Example: - Rhizobium is best suited
for leguminous plants; for crops on the farm like wheat,
maize, and cotton azotobacter is used.
What is Chemical Fertilizer?
Fertilizers that contain chemical-based contents that help in
plant growth are known as chemical fertilizers. They mostly
consist of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorous, but
secondary elements like magnesium and calcium exist.
Nitrogenous fertilizers contain ions of ammonium and
nitrate. Phosphatic fertilizers contain three forms of
phosphates: calcium dihydrogen phosphate, ammonium
hydrogen phosphate, or ammonium phosphate. They add an
appropriate amount of nutrients to plants and soil.
Comparison of yields: -
Results of a comparative study between chemical and
biofertilizer shows that a total of thirty intact plants were
randomly selected from batch of biofertilizer treated and
chemical treated and then average number of grains
produced by each was calculated.
Conc. In Conc. In chemical
Parameter biofertilizer fertilizer treated
treated crops crops (mg/100g)
(mg/100g)
Potassium (K) 189.36 77.73
Phosphorus (P) 183.24 159.38
Nitrogen(N) 1.66 1.34
With this experimentation it is concluded that
Biofertilizers are a better alternative to chemical fertilizers
and it boost the yield of the crops farther than chemical
fertilizers. They increase crop growth, development and yield
by the help of methods like nitrogen fixation, phosphorus and
potassium solubilization etc. Not only this but biofertilizers
also improved the soil quality by converting insoluble
complexes into soluble forms.
Drawback of chemical fertilizer: -
➢ Excessive use of fertilizers can significantly raise acidity
levels or may degrade the soil.
➢ Applying excessive doses of fertilizer may leak into the
area below the root zone and reach the groundwater
which may cause harmful disease in humans and other
animals.
➢ Chemical fertilizers have the potential to disrupt the
delicate balance of biodiversity. This imbalance can lead
to the decline of native plant species and even impact
the population of insects, birds, and other organisms
that depend on a diverse ecosystem.
Drawback of biofertilizer: -
➢ They have a six-month shelf life when kept at room
temperature, therefore we must utilise them before
then.
➢ The majority of biofertilizers have a strong,
recognizable odour.
➢ Microbial fertiliser may not be efficient in increasing
soil fertility when it is added into a too hot or too dry
soil.
➢ Biofertilizers start to disappear after some time if they
are exposed to sunshine.
Comparison: -
Characteristics Biofertilizer Chemical fertilizer
Time of action Requires more Work faster than
time for the organic fertilizers
nutrients of these as they get
fertilizers to reach immediately
the plant. dissolved in water.
Type of Resources Renewable source. Non-renewable
source.
Shelf-Life Shorter shelf-Life Longer shelf-Life
Cost of Fertilizers It is more It is less expensive
expensive compared to bio-
compared to fertilizers.
chemical
fertilizers.
Soil Life Makes the soil Soil life will not be
healthier and enriched or
more fertile. stimulated.
❖ The combined use of chemical fertilizer and
biofertilizer plays a significant role on the growth of
crop plants. Almost the combined use has
significant effect on crop growth as compared to
the alone use of chemical fertilizers. The use of 25
% nitrogen + 25 farmyard manure / poultry manure
/ city waste + 50 % NPK increase the grain yield of
3.5 t-1ha in wheat.
Conclusion: -
Use of bio-fertilizers in agriculture will have greater
influence on organic agriculture and also on the
control of environmental pollution, soil health
development. So, the combined application or the
single use of biofertilizers can be considered as the
beneficial for the growth and yield of crops.
