With the increase in population, the demand for the crop has significantly increased which has led to extensive use of inorganic fertilizers without least consideration for soil health, which is a critical factor for realizing sustainable high yield. Besides this, the residual effects of inorganic fertilizers on environment, underground water resources and soil micro-flora, is a matter of great concern. The beneficial plant microbe interactions in the rhizosphere are the primary determinants of plant health and soil fertility and improve long term sustainability of soil. The lost biological activity in the soil, due to excess use of chemical fertilizers, can be restored slowly by incorporating artificially multiplied cultures of beneficial microorganisms in the form of biofertilizers. They produce growth promoting substances and vitamins and help to maintain soil fertility and suppress the incidence of pathogen and control diseases which ultimately results in improved yield and yield components. As a cost effective supplement to chemical fertilizers, biofertilizers can help to economize the high investment needed for fertilizer use. Biofertilizers are carrier based micro-organisms which help to enhance productivity by biological nitrogen fixation or solubilization of insoluble phosphate or by producing hormones, vitamins and other growth promoters required for plant growth
