Talk:Biofertilizer

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 9 March 2020 and 29 May 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Jaskemc. Peer reviewers: OwensSar000, Schracksm.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 15:45, 16 January 2022 (UTC)

Biased
The article appears biased in favor of biofertilizers, not mentioning how large-scale trials found their use to be quite variable (mostly positive, but still quite variable and often insignificant). The 'benefits' section does not list any references. (25/03/16)

If read through newer edits please state if you still find the article to be biased. Jaskemc (talk) 18:47, 5 May 2020 (UTC)

Clarification
This artilce needs clarification by an expert in this field. It currently goes to great lengths explaining what it is not, but is not very clear exactly what it is. Bull **** maybe? Derek Andrews (talk) 17:11, 21 September 2009 (UTC)

I agree, this is written like a sales-pitch for these products, most of which are untested. Furthermore, the name "bio-fertilizer" is misleading because, unlike real fertilizers (both organic and synthetic) these do not actually add nutrients to the soil (perhaps very small amounts in some cases) but rather attempt to help the plant extract more of what is already in the soil. A6m7mcguire (talk) 23:53, 29 July 2016 (UTC)
 * I also have my strong doubts about this article, and the lack of reputable sources. Reminds me of the debates around effective microorganisms. EvMsmile (talk) 07:25, 26 August 2016 (UTC)

I have looked into some possible sources for this article and have found the following:
 * 1. Ahmed, S., Hassan, B., & Farooq, M. (2018). Effect of biofertilizers and diatomaceous earth on life and movement of subterranean termites under laboratory conditions. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 38(4), 348-352. doi:10.1017/S1742758418000103
 * 2. Htwe, Aung Zaw, et al. “Effects of Biofertilizer Produced from Bradyrhizobium and Streptomyces Griseoflavus on Plant Growth, Nodulation, Nitrogen Fixation, Nutrient Uptake, and Seed Yield of Mung Bean, Cowpea, and Soybean.” Agronomy, vol. 9, no. 2, 2019, p. 77., doi:10.3390/agronomy9020077.
 * 3. Schütz, Lukas, et al. “Improving Crop Yield and Nutrient Use Efficiency via Biofertilization—A Global Meta-Analysis.” Frontiers in Plant Science, vol. 8, 2018, doi:10.3389/fpls.2017.02204.
 * 4. Jennifer E Schmidt, Amélie C M Gaudin, What is the agronomic potential of biofertilizers for maize? A meta-analysis, FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Volume 94, Issue 7, July 2018, fiy094, https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiy094

I will continue to look into reliable sources for this article. Jaskemc (talk) 17:24, 18 April 2020 (UTC)