Population growth affect the food security worldwide. Population growth and the expansion of the agriculture sector are closely related. The higher population levels result in higher land use per unit of land as a function of population growth. However, land intensification has grown to be a significant and pressing issue as a result of an increase in both rural and urban population. This is the cause of the yearly cropping pattern's change from short to protracted fallow, as well as the extensive use of numerous cropping systems on extremely fragmented land (Dibaba et al., 2020). The uneven population density between rural and urban areas is making this situation worse and contributing to food insecurity. Therefore, it is becoming more and more difficult to feed the current big population, which will only rise over time, due to the rapid growth of industrialization and urbanization.
When chemical fertilizers are applied recklessly, the air, water, and land are contaminated, putting the ecosystem in jeopardy (Kumari et al., 2024). Because they are not absorbed by plants, these hazardous materials accumulate in ground water, and some of them also add to the eutrophication of aquatic habitats (El-Sheekh et al., 2021). Hossain et al. (2022) claim that these substances negatively affect the fertility of the soil, its ability to hold water, its increased salinity, and the discrepancies in nutrients. Despite the fact that chemical fertilizers must be used to keep up with the world's growing food demand, there are instances in which organic farming can lead to the successful growth of particular crops and niche markets (Mrabet, 2023).
Living microorganisms called biofertilizers penetrate the rhizosphere, or the interior of the plant, when applied to seeds, plants, or soil. This increases the host plant's availability to nutrients, which in turn promotes plant growth (Fasusi et al., 2021). In order to speed up the microbial processes that increase the availability of nutrients that are easily absorbed by plants, biofertilizers are widely used. By fixing atmospheric nitrogen, soluble phosphates, and the creation of soil-derived chemicals that promote plant growth, they increase soil fertility (Shah et al., 2019a; Chaudhary et al., 2020; Mahmud et al., 2021). Shah et al. (2019a,b) state that the goal of these biofertilizers is to make use of the biological system of nutrient mobilization that occurs naturally. The soil fertility and crop productivity are eventually significantly increased by this technique.
In order for plants to grow and develop, they require fourteen key mineral elements: micronutrients (Fe, B, Cl, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, and Ni) and macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) (Ahmed et al., 2020; Bhatla and Lal, 2023). The majority of the elements are present in the soil, but because they are in forms that plants cannot assimilate, they cannot be absorbed by the plants. Certain elements are only taken up by plants in specific forms; for example, nitrogen is taken up by plants as either nitrate or ammonia. According to Fasusi et al. (2021), biofertilizers are categorized according to the types of microorganisms they include and the functional traits they have acquired by their interactions with plants in the rhizosphere. N-fixing, P-solubilizing, P-mobilizing, micronutrient solubilizer, and rhizobacteria that promote plant growth are the general categories of biofertilizers.
A substitute to carrier-based constructions is the use of liquid bio fertilizers (Dey, 2021). Liquid bio fertilizers should have an inexpensive, widely accessible, non-toxic, and simple-to-use carrier material. The carrier also needs to be physically and chemically homogeneous, have a high water-holding capacity, and have the right pH to support microbial growth (Kumari et al., 2024). Because liquid biofertilizers have a 1.5–2-year shelf life, they are more appealing than solid inoculants. They are easy to handle and operate, do not require sticky materials, are uncontaminated, compatible with contemporary technology, and can tolerate temperatures as high as 45°C. Additives that promote the growth of microbial strains are simple to add and apply to soil and seedlings alike. The carrier material for liquid bio fertilizers should be cheap, plentifully available, non-toxic, and easy to use. Therefore, for management of food waste and vegetable waste and also maintain the soil health and agricultural productivity, the liquid fertilizer will be a vital tool with respect to economy and sustainable agriculture.