Importance of Azotobacter as a biofertilizer

The soil fertility, which gets depleted with high agricultural production, needs to be replenished at faster rate. The basic major nutrient components of fertility are organic carbon and nitrogen. Investigation carried out during the last few decades proved that biofertilization is considered to be one of the most important field practices due to its effect in reducing environmental pollution by harmful accumulated chemicals, decreasing agricultural costs and maximizing crop yield at the same time (Yassein, 2000). However, one of the main problems faced bioagriculture technologists limiting the extension of biofertilization, is the rapid injury and death of microorganisms used as biofertilizers due to their susceptibility to physiological factors. In recent years, considerable interest has been focused on the use of bioinoculants such as Azotobacter with different crops cultivations in order to increase soil fertility, give higher yield of crops and represents an environmental friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers.