GIS Business ISSN: 1430-3663 Vol-14-Issue-6-November-December-2019 Page | 425 Copyright ⓒ 2019 Authors A Study on the Farmers’ Awareness and Acceptance of Biofertilizers in Kottayam District Subin Thomas 1 , Dr. M. Nandhini 2 1 Research Scholar, Department of Management Studies, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore 2 Research Guide, Department of Management Studies, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore Abstract: Biofertilizers are fertilizers containing microorganisms that promote plant growth by improving the supply of nutrients to the host plant. The supply of nutrients is improved naturally by nitrogen fixation and solubilizing phosphorus. The living microorganisms in biofertilizers help in building organic matter in the soil and restoring the natural nutrient cycle. Biofertilizers can be grouped into Nitrogen-fixing biofertilizers, Phosphorous-solubilizing biofertilizers, Phosphorous-mobilizing biofertilizers, Biofertilizers for micro nutrients and Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria. This study conducted in Kottayam district was intended to identify the awareness and acceptance of biofertilizers among the farmers of the area. Data have been collected from 120 farmers by direct interviews with structured questionnaire. Though the farmers are aware of biofertilizers, high cost, less availability, less shelf life and lower productivity in the initial stages are the limiting factors in the wide spread application of these fertilizers. As the usage of biofertilizers is in the nascent stage, government agencies and NGOs should conduct more awareness programs and field demonstrations to enhance the acceptance and application of biofertilizers among farmers. Keywords: Biofertilizers, Farmers’ Awareness, Sustainable farming practices 1 Introduction Green revolution techniques on improving the agricultural production had resulted in excessive dependence of synthetic inputs in agriculture. Excessive and non-scientific application of agrochemicals that mainly contain phosphate, ammonium, nitrate and potassium salts had an adverse impact on the soil and caused irreparable damage to the environment. Soil degradation and ground water pollution due to the excessive application of chemical fertilizers made the agricultural lands less productive in the long run. Realization of the harmful impacts of chemical fertilizers has contributed in the promotion of biofertilizers and organic farming practices. The application of natural inputs like biofertilizers had proved to improve the soil fertility and crop quality naturally. M. Malarkodi, K Bharathi (2010) and Nigade D. D., Kamble V. B., Dhulgand V. G (2017) revealed that a majority of the farmers were aware of biofertilizers, but there were certain limiting factors that prevented wide-spread adoption by farmers. Recognizing the importance of biofertilizers Government has taken various steps to promote awareness and application of these fertilizers. As the Economic Survey Report 2018-19 reveals, about 58% of the population of the country are engaged in agriculture and related activities. So, an aggressive effort penetrating the root levels is needed for a paradigm shift towards biofertilizers. As agriculture sector accounts for a major portion of the country’ s GDP, the policy and objective of the Government have been to increase agricultural production by sustainable farming practices. To attain the objective of