MICROBIAL BIOPRODUCTS FOR AGRICULTURE

It is well known that to properly fertilize crops, it is necessary to apply products containing macro and micronutrients, and for better rooting of seedlings, products based on plant stimulators are used. On the other hand, pest control is made through products containing lethal chemicals for insects, nematodes, fungi or bacteria. These products used in agriculture including, fertilizers, plant growth stimulants, and pesticides may be of synthetic or natural origin. Many years ago, the man, observing the natural processes of ecosystems balance, discovered that there are living organisms (plants, bacteria, fungi, insects, mites, algae, nematodes, etc.) capable of influencing many soil processes associated with N fixation, P solubilization, vitamins and phyto¬hormones production to promote plant growth, enzymes involved in the decomposition of organic matter, natural enemy insects controlling pests, and microorganisms controlling diseases. This observation of nature led to the development of bio-based products for agricultural use, and today this biotechnology industry is growing faster than the knowledge and regulation policies. The bio-product term refers to all products originated on renewable biological resources.
Regarding agricultural bioproducts, these are used in fertilization, plant growth stimulation or biological control, and their active ingredients can be plants, algae, extracts, microorganisms or active metabolites. In the case of microorganisms, in which this article focuses, bioproducts are produced under controlled biotechnological processes, in order to achieve the desired growth of microorganisms or the production of metabolites of interest in a concentrated manner. It is worth noting that there are bio- active substances which may be a species of microorganism or a mixture of several species, and usually are formulated for commercial use.