AO-12: Biofertilizer Production for Sustainable Agriculture: A Biotechnological and Ecological Perspective

Abstract

The industrialization of agriculture through excessive mechanization and the massive, irrational use of chemical inputs (chemical fertilizers and plant protection products) has led to a significant increase in agricultural yields, but above all it has caused major damage to the environment, particularly to soil and groundwater. This situation poses two key problems: one relating to economic aspects and health repercussions on the public, the other much more to ecological considerations (dysfunction of agro-ecosystems). The concept of sustainable agriculture needs to combine all these elements in a more environmentally friendly approach, by exploiting the rhizosphere space of plants to improve soil fertility. Indeed, the use of rhizobacteria represents an alternative that could find a sustainable agronomic application in the face of the many constraints limiting plant production, the most important of which is certainly salinity. To mitigate the effects of salinity, appropriate crop management techniques as Bio-fertilization, single or mixed inoculation of PGPR will be needed. It is in this context that the soil biology team is proposing to contribute by adopting bio-fertilization of certain economically important legumes and cereals to produce bio-fertilizers. The aims of our team were to determine the effect of salinity and drought stress on germination and seedling growth and to determine if this biofertilization with appropriate PGPR could mitigate the adverse effects of soil salinity on germination, seedling growth and establishment in arids areas. The results obtained showed that salt damage and biofertilization success depend on species, variety, growth stage, environmental factors, stress severity and the nature of the salts. Germination and early seedling stages are crucial for the establishment of species in the saline environment. The results obtained showed that salt damage and biofertilization success depend on species, variety, growth stage, environmental factors, stress severity and the nature of the salts. Germination and early seedling stages are crucial for the establishment of species in the saline environment. Participating in this scientific event will give us an opportunity to present our key findings, update our knowledge and develop collaborations with other research teams across Algeria