BharatNotes Biofertiliser
noun (countable and uncountable)Usage in a UPSC answer
To reconcile food security with ecological prudence, the government has incentivised the use of biofertilisers, which restore the soil's natural nutrient cycle and reduce farmers' dependence on subsidised chemical fertilisers that strain both the exchequer and the environment.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
biofertiliser (n), biofertilisers (n pl), biofertilization (n), bio-fertilise (v)
Root
Greek bios = life; bio- = life-prefix; fertiliser from Latin fertilis = fruitful, from ferre = to bear
Etymology
Contraction of biological fertiliser; bio- from Greek bios ("life").
Memory Hook
Bio (life) + fertiliser: a fertiliser that is alive — tiny living microbes feeding the soil, the opposite of a lifeless chemical bag.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
A preparation of living microorganisms that improves nutrient availability to plants, chiefly through nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilisation or enhanced nutrient uptake. Its GS3 relevance is soil health and input cost: biofertilisers work with soil biology rather than substituting for it, and they avoid the runoff and eutrophication that follow heavy chemical nitrogen use. The honest qualification is that they act more slowly and their performance depends on soil conditions and correct storage of live cultures.
Don’t Confuse It With
A biofertiliser contains living organisms that improve nutrient availability. A chemical fertiliser supplies nutrients directly in soluble form. Organic manure adds organic matter and nutrients but is not a live microbial preparation. A biopesticide controls pests rather than supplying nutrition, and the two are frequently conflated.
Hindi Meaning
जैव उर्वरक (jaiv urvarak).
Common Questions
- What is a biofertiliser?
- A preparation of living microorganisms that improves the availability of nutrients to plants, through nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilisation or better uptake.
- How does a biofertiliser differ from a chemical fertiliser?
- A chemical fertiliser supplies nutrients directly in soluble form. A biofertiliser uses living organisms to make nutrients available, acting more slowly but supporting soil biology.
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