Fco specification of biofertilizers

FCO specification, quality control and marketing of Biofertilizers

1. FCO Specifications, Quality Control
and Marketing of Biofertilizers

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Dr. R.K. Thakur
Assistant Professor (Soil Science)
College of Agriculture, Balaghat

Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur (M.P.)

2. Introduction :-

= Quality assessment measures, which were voluntary as per
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications earlier, have
been enforced by the government of India since 2006 under the
provisions of Fertilizer (Control) Order 1985 (FCO 2006), so as
to ensure production and distribution of quality biofertilizers in
India.

= Government of India brought four biofertilizers namely
Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum and PSB under FCO,
during 2006.

= Recently, two more biofertilizers, namely potash mobilizing and
zinc solubilizing biofertilizers have also been incorporated
under FCO.

= Under the provisions of FCO, biofertilizer production and its
sales have been regulated and is a mandatory requirement of
registration for every manufacturing unit with the State
Fertilizer Controller (who is generally the Commissioner or
Director of Agriculture Department).

3. Introduction :-

= In every district, some officers of the Agriculture
Department have been declared as Fertilizer Inspectors,
who are authorized to inspect production and storage
facilities and draw samples for quality analysis.

= National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF), Ghaziabad
and its six Regional Centers located at Bhubaneswar,
Bangalore, Jabalpur, Nagpur, Hissar and Imphal have
been declared as notified testing laboratories.

= Under the provisions of the act, State Governments can
also develop their own quality control laboratories and
notify them under the FCO 1985.

= State Governments have developed their quality control
laboratories and notified their own biofertilizer testing
laboratories.

4. Fertilizer Control Order (1985)
(Under The Essential Commodities Act, 1955)

Describes the procedures
for drawal of fertilizer
samples

maximum level of Part-B
impurities Describes the methods
contaminants etc of analysis of fertilizers

5. Specifications of Rhizobium biofertilizer :-

Parameter
Base

Viable cell count

Contamination level

pH

Particles size in case of
carrier based material

Moisture per cent by
weight, maximum in case of
carrier based

Efficiency character

Requirements

Carrier based* in form of moist/dry
powder or granules, or liquid based

CFU minimum 5x10’ cells/g of powder,
granules or carrier material or 1x108
cells/ml of liquid

No contamination at 105 dilution

6.5-7.5

All material shall pass through 0.15-0.212
mm IS sieve

30-40%

Should show effective nodulation on all
the species listed on the packet

*Type of carrier: The carrier materials such as peat, lignite, peat soil, humus,
wood charcoal or similar material favouring growth of organism

6. Specifications of Azotobacter biofertilizer :-

Parameter
Base

Viable cell count

Contamination level

pH

Particles size in case of
carrier based material
Moisture per cent by
weight, maximum in case of
carrier based

Efficiency character

Requirements

Carrier based* in form of moist/dry
powder or granules, or liquid based

CFU minimum 5x107 cells/g of powder,
granules or carrier material or 1x108
cells/ml of liquid

No contamination at 105 dilution

6.5-7.5

All material shall pass through 0.15-0.212
mm IS sieve

30-40%

The strain should be capable of fixing at
least 10 mg of nitrogen per g of sucrose
consumed

*Type of carrier: The carrier materials such as peat, lignite, peat soil, humus,
wood charcoal or similar material favouring growth of organism

7. Specifications of Azospirillum biofertilizer :-

Parameter
Base

Viable cell count

Contamination level

pH

Particles size in case of
carrier based material
Moisture per cent by
weight, maximum in case of
carrier based

Efficiency character

Requirements

Carrier based* in form of moist/dry
powder or granules, or liquid based

CFU minimum 5x10’ cells/g of powder,
granules or carrier material or 1x108
cells/ml of liquid

No contamination at 105 dilution

6.5-7.5

All material shall pass through 0.15-0.212
mm IS sieve

30-40%

Formation of white pellicle in semisolid
N-free bromothymol blue medium

*Type of carrier: The carrier materials such as peat, lignite, peat soil, humus,
wood charcoal or similar material favouring growth of organism

8. Specifications of PSB biofertilizer :-

Parameter
Base

Viable cell count

Contamination level
pH

Particles size in case of carrier
based material

Moisture per cent by weight,
maximum in case of carrier
based

Efficiency character

Requirements

Carrier based* in form of moist/dry powder or
granules, or liquid based

CFU minimum 5x10’ cells/g of powder, granules
or carrier material or 1x10% cells/ml of liquid

No contamination at 105 dilution

6.5-7.5 for moist/dry powder, granulated carrier
based and 5.0-7.5 for liquid based

All material shall pass through 0.15-0.212 mm IS
sieve

30-40%

The strain should have phosphate solubilizing
capacity in the range of minimum 30%, when
tested spectro-photometrically. In terms of zone
formation, minimum 5mm solubilization zone in
prescribed media having at least 3mm thickness

*Type of carrier: The carrier materials such as peat, lignite, peat soil, humus,
wood charcoal or similar material favouring growth of organism

9. Specifications of K & Zn Solubilizing bacterial biofertilizer :-

Parameter
Base

Viable cell count

Contamination level
pH

Particles size in case of carrier
based material

Moisture per cent by weight,
maximum in case of carrier
based

Efficiency character

Requirements

Carrier based* in form of moist/dry powder or
granules, or liquid based

CFU minimum 5x10’ cells/g of powder,
granules or carrier material on dry wt. basis or
1x108 cells/ml of liquid.

No contamination at 105 dilution

6.5-7.5 for carrier based in form of powder or
granules and 5.0 — 7.5 for liquid based
Powdered material shall pass through 0.15-
0.212 mm IS sieve

30-40%

Minimum 10 mm solubilization zone in
prescribed media having at least 3 mm
thickness

*Type of carrier: The carrier materials such as peat, lignite, peat soil, humus,
wood charcoal or similar material favouring growth of organism

10. Factors influencing the quality and the efficacy of an
inoculant during production and after inoculation
into soil :-

11. Factors influencing the quality and the efficacy of an
inoculant during production and after inoculation
into soil :-

12. Quality Parameters of Biofertilizer :-

= Quality of biofertilizer is one of the most important
factors. Thus their success or failure and acceptance or
rejection by end-user, the farmers will be assured.

= Principally, quality represents the number of selected
microorganism in the active form per gram or milliliter
biofertilizer.

= Specifications of biofertilizer differ from country to
country and may be comprise parameters like: microbial
density at the time of manufacture, microbial density at
the time of expiry, expiry period, permissible
contamination, pH, moisture, microbial strain and carrier.

= Quality has to be monitored at different production
stages (during pre-culture stage, carrier selection and
preparing, broth formulation, mixing of broth and culture,
packaging and storage).

13. Key quality parameters of biofertilizers :-
Forms Liquid | Powder | Granular |

lu. Brown or black Brown
> 0.5x10%ml >0.1x10% >0.1x10%g
> 1.0x10%ml >0.2x10%g > 0.1x10%g
> 0.5x10%ml >0.1x10% > 0.1x10%g
> 1.0x10%ml >0.2x10%g > 0.1x10%g
> 0.5x10%ml >0.1x10% > 0.1x10%g
> 1.5x10%/ml > 0.3x10%g > 0.2x10%g
> 1.0x10%ml >0.2x10%g > 0.1x10%g

5.5-7.0 6.0-7.5 6.0-7.5

= 20-35 10

< 5.0 < 15.0 < 20.0

14. Marketing of Biofertilizer :-

= Types of Microbial Inoculants (Biofertilizers) in
Market

= Production of Biofertilizers in India
= Distribution and Sale

= Field demonstration

= Publicity & Training

= Marketing Challenges & Options in bio-fertilizer
business

15. Others Mycorrhiza
Rhizobium 1700 2600

Share of different
biofertilizers to
total production

Azospirillum
su North East, North,
1003, 3 2486, 7%

Production of
biofertilizers in
different regions of
the country

East, 887,
2%

16. Biofertilizers produced by MRPC-JNKVV, Jabalpur

Legumes (crop specific)
Non-legumes

Non-legumes

Sugarcane and other crops

All crops

Paddy

All crops

All crops (Fruit, Vegetable etc.)
All crops

All crops

All crops (as bio-control agent)
Waste decomposer

All crops (fruit, vegetable, etc.)
Waster decomposer

As decomposer & Nutrient provider

18. Thanks