DESC:BIO-FERTILIZER COMPOSITION ,CLAIMS:1. A bio-fertilizer composition comprising:
at least one micro-biological entity selected from the group consisting of bacteria, fungi, and combinations thereof; and polymeric microgel.
2. The bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the micro-biological entity wt % is in the range of 0.001% to 75% with respect to the composition.
3. The bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1, further comprises required amount of a liquid or solid carrier.
4. The bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polymeric microgel wt % is in the range of 2% to 99.999% with respect to the composition.
5. The bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polymeric microgel have a particle size in the range of 0.01 to 100 microns.
6. The bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polymeric microgel comprises of at least one polymeric matrix selected from the group of water-swellable polymer, water soluble polymer, and combinations thereof.
7. The bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one polymeric matrix is a reverse phase polymerization reaction product of an aqueous monomer phase dispersed in a water-insoluble solvent and an emulsifier.
8. A process for producing a bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1, the process comprising;
preparing a polymeric microgel; and
contacting at least one micro-biological entity selected from the group consisting of bacteria, fungi, and combinations thereof with the polymeric microgel to obtain a bio-fertilizer composition.
9. The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the polymeric microgel comprises of at least one polymeric matrix selected from the group of water-swellable polymer, water soluble polymer, and combinations thereof.
10. The process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one polymeric matrix is a reverse phase polymerization reaction product of an aqueous monomer phase dispersed in a water-insoluble solvent and an emulsifier.
11. The process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the water-insoluble solvent is present from 5% to 80% by weight of the dispersion.
12. The process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the water insoluble solvent is selected from liquid hydrocarbons and substituted hydrocarbon
13. The process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the aqueous monomer phase is present from 95% to 5% by weight of the dispersion during microgel synthesis.
14. The process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the aqueous monomer phase is independently selected from an anionic, a cationic, a non-ionic, or an amphoteric monomer.
15. The process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the polymer is prepared from water soluble monomer having water solubility of at least 5 %.
16. The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the polymeric microgel has a particle size in the range of 0.01 to 100 microns.
17. The bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microgel comprises water content in the range of 0.1 to 98 % by weight of microgel dispersion.
18. The bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition optionally comprising sand, clay, silt, wood flour, starch, gypsum, silica, aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, vermiculite, dextrin, modified starches, castor cake, humic acid, sea weeds, soil, urea, sulfur, and combinations thereof.
19. A method of enhancing crop yield by contacting the soil, or a natural or artificial substrate or a plant with an effective amount of bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1.
20. A method of improving plant growth by contacting the soil, or a natural or artificial substrate or a plant with an effective amount of bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1.
21. A method of improving root growth by contacting the soil, or a natural or artificial substrate or a plant with an effective amount of bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1.
22. A method of improving seed germination by contacting the soil, or a natural or artificial substrate or a plant with an effective amount of bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1.
23. A method of improving crop quality by contacting the soil, or a natural or artificial substrate or a plant with an effective amount of bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1.
24. A method of reducing irrigation cycles by contacting the soil, or a natural or artificial substrate or a plant with an effective amount of bio-fertilizer composition as claimed in claim 1.
Dated this 11th Day of September 2015