Biofertilizers and Biopesticides in Sustainable Agriculture: Mechanisms, Applications, Constraints, and Emerging Directions—A Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31033/ABJAR/5.3.2026.125Keywords:
biofertilizers, biopesticides, sustainable agriculture, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, biological control, soil health, integrated pest management, microbial inoculantsAbstract
Modern agriculture needs high productivity, but it also needs healthy soil, clean water and safer pest management. Heavy and poorly managed use of synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides can disturb nutrient balance, increase pollution, leave residues and select resistant pest populations. Biofertilizers and biopesticides offer a different route. Biofertilizers use beneficial microorganisms to improve nutrient availability, root growth and plant tolerance to stress. Biopesticides use microorganisms, plant products, natural compounds or other biological agents to suppress insects, pathogens, nematodes and weeds. This review brings these two groups together and examines how they can support sustainable crop production. It discusses major biofertilizers such as rhizobia, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, phosphate- and potassium-solubilizing microorganisms, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, cyanobacteria and microbial consortia. It also reviews important biopesticides, including Bacillus thuringiensis, Trichoderma, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, entomopathogenic fungi, baculoviruses, entomopathogenic nematodes, neem products and pheromones. The strongest value of these inputs appears when farmers integrate them with balanced fertilization, organic matter management, resistant cultivars, crop rotation and integrated pest management rather than use them as isolated replacements. Field performance, however, remains variable. Shelf life, formulation quality, environmental sensitivity, product standards and farmer handling all matter. Research reported through December 2025 shows a clear shift toward synthetic microbial communities, microbiome-guided strain selection, multi-omics, improved fermentation, encapsulation, nano-enabled delivery and precision application. These advances are promising, but laboratory success must be matched by reproducible field evidence and strong biosafety assessment. Better products will come from locally adapted strains, transparent quality control and realistic recommendations for farmers.
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