Microbes can be used to decrease the use of chemical fertilizers. Explain how this can be accomplished.
Rhizobium bacteria present in the root nodules of leguminous plants (pea family) forms a symbiotic association and fixes atmospheric nitrogen into organic forms as nitrates/nitrites which are used by the plant as nutrient. Free-living bacteria in the soil Azospirillum and Azotobacter can fix atmospheric nitrogen thus enriching the nitrogen content of the soil. Many members of the genus Glomus (Fungi) form mycorrhizal symbiotic associations with higher plants. In these, the fungal symbiont absorbs phosphorus from soil and passes it to the plant.
