Abstract

Several microorganisms have functional relationships which constitute holistic and beneficial effects on plant growth. Bio-fertilizer is a component that carries living microorganisms which applied into the soil as inoculants to help provide certain nutrients for plants. This review x-rays the role of bio-fertilizers in sustainable agriculture thereby meeting the needs of farmers and plant biologists whose work base on creating clean and efficient means of improving soil quality by nourishing and maintaining the useful and natural flora of microorganisms. It presents the alternative use live fertilizer in the field of agricultural management which reveals the potentials of the application in terms of increased nutrient profiles, plant growth and productivity as well as an improved tolerance to environmental stress. In view of these, this paper used available literature to analyze the term “bio-fertilizer,” the origin of bio-fertilizer, economic importance of bio-fertilizer to crops, benefits of bio-fertilizer over chemical fertilizers, factors affecting bio-digestion and limitations to bio-fertilizer