Biofilm: A future generation biofertilizer
Peer Mohmad Junaid* and Fatima Khan**
*Department of Botany, Govt. Motilal Vigyan Mahavidyalaya, Bhopal-462 003 (India) **Prof. of Botany, Govt. College Nasrullah Ganj-466 331 (India)
ABSTRACT
All plants including leguminous plant roots have capability to secrete a wide range of compounds into the rhizosphere. Because of these exudates, the rhizosphere becomes nutrient rich for microbial growth. It is reported that 40% of carbon fixed by plants is converted into root exudates which contains water, enzymes, ions, free oxygen and compounds of carbon such as carbohydrates, organic acid, amino acids, proteins and mucilage. However, different types of soil has different abiotic factors such as temperature, light and soil moisture, therefore, root exudates vary with type of soil and nutrient availability. Due to the presence of root exudates around the roots, which create a niche and mediate positive and negative interaction among microorganisms. This symbiotic association between plants and microbes which are beneficial, is called as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), including nitrogen fixing bacteria. The efficiency of fungal bacterial biofilms (FBBS) is however greater than their monocultures.