How to Read a Biofertilizer Label in India (2026): The FCO Minimum CFU and IP/gm Numbers That Tell You If You're Overpaying

The short answer: under the Fertiliser (Control) Order 1985, Schedule III (as amended 2021), a Mycorrhiza (VAM) biofertilizer must carry a minimum 1,200 IP per gram (inoculum potential, MPN method) and at least 10 viable spores per gram. A liquid consortia must carry a minimum total viable count of 1.5 × 10⁸ CFU per ml, with each individual organism at a minimum 5 × 10⁷ CFU/ml. A single-strain liquid Azotobacter or PSB must carry a minimum 1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml. Those are legal floors, not quality marks. If a label does not print its IP/gm or CFU count at all, you have no way to know what you are paying for — and under FCO Clause 19(vii) that count is supposed to be declared.

Orgogrowth's Mycorrhiza VAM powder is tested at 6,000 IP/gm — five times the FCO legal minimum of 1,200 IP/gm. That single number is why 1 kg covers roughly 10 acres at 100 g per acre, while a 1,200 IP/gm product needs five times the material for the same fungal load in the soil.

Why two drums at the same price can be five times apart

Biofertilizer is not sold by nutrient percentage the way urea or DAP is. It is sold by living organisms. Two 50-litre drums can carry identical labels, identical crop lists and identical prices, and still differ five-fold in the number of live bacteria that actually reach your root zone. The price on the drum tells you almost nothing. The count on the label tells you everything.

This is the single most common way Indian farmers overpay for biofertilizer: comparing rupees per litre instead of rupees per live microbe.

The six numbers to find on any biofertilizer label

1. The superscription

The word BIO-FERTILISER must appear on the pack (FCO Clause 21). If the pack instead says FERTILISER, or says nothing, it is either a different product category or it is non-compliant. A "biostimulant" is a separate regime altogether (Schedule VI) and must not be sold or labelled as a fertiliser.

2. The viable count — CFU/ml or CFU/g

This is the number that matters most. FCO Schedule III minimums:

• Liquid consortia (2–3 organisms): total viable count minimum 1.5 × 10⁸ CFU/ml; each organism minimum 5 × 10⁷ CFU/ml
• Liquid Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Rhizobium, PSB, KMB: minimum 1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml
• Carrier-based powder (same organisms): minimum 5 × 10⁷ CFU per gram

A label that prints "high count" or "rich in microbes" without a number is telling you nothing. Ask for the batch CFU figure in writing.

3. For Mycorrhiza only — IP per gram

Mycorrhiza is measured differently, because it is a fungus that colonises roots rather than a free-living bacterium. Its unit is inoculum potential (IP) per gram, by MPN method at 10-fold dilution. FCO minimum: 1,200 IP/gm, plus a minimum of 10 viable spores per gram. Any Mycorrhiza pack without an IP/gm figure should be treated as unverified.

4. pH

FCO sets pH 6.0–7.5 for Mycorrhiza and 5.0–7.0 for liquid consortia. A biofertilizer drifting outside its band is usually a sign the culture has aged or the formulation has broken down. This is also why biofertilizer should never be tank-mixed straight into a strongly acidic or alkaline spray solution.

5. Contamination statement

For liquid consortia the FCO standard is blunt: no contamination at any dilution. For single-strain products, no contamination at 10⁵ dilution. A reputable manufacturer tests every batch for this and will show you the report.

6. Batch number and date of manufacture

Live organisms decline over time. A batch number and manufacturing date are mandatory, and they are your only way to judge how much of the declared count is still alive by the time the drum reaches your field. Buy fresh stock.

Working out your real cost per acre

Take the pack price, divide by the dose per acre, and only then compare. Worked example using our own catalogue:

• Mycorrhiza VAM Powder 1 Kg — ₹2,499, 6,000 IP/gm, 100 g per acre → roughly ₹250 per acre, about 10 acres per kilogram.
• A 1,200 IP/gm powder at ₹600 per kg looks far cheaper — until you need 500 g per acre to match the same fungal load, which works out at ₹300 per acre. The "cheap" product costs more.
• Mycorrhiza VAM Liquid 50 Ltr — ₹5,800 per drum (₹116/litre), suited to drip and fertigation where powder is impractical.
• NPK Consortia Liquid 50 Ltr — ₹4,699 per drum (₹94/litre), carrying Azotobacter, PSB and KMB in one formulation.
• NPK+VAM Consortia 50 Ltr — ₹4,699 per drum, combining the three bacteria with Mycorrhiza so one application covers both nutrient mobilisation and root colonisation.

The arithmetic is the whole point. A biofertilizer is cheap or expensive only after you divide its price by its live count, never before.

Three label red flags

1. A yield guarantee. FCO Clause 19(v) prohibits false or misleading claims. "Guaranteed 40% more yield" on a fertiliser label is not a confidence signal — it is a compliance problem.
2. A disease-cure claim. Curing or controlling a disease falls under the Insecticides Act, not the FCO. A biofertilizer label claiming to cure wilt or rot is outside its own regulatory lane.
3. No manufacturer address. Clause 19(iv) forbids fictitious manufacturer details. If you cannot find a real, verifiable factory address on the pack, do not buy it.

FAQ

What is the minimum CFU count for liquid biofertilizer in India?
For a single-strain liquid biofertilizer (Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Rhizobium, PSB, KMB), the FCO 1985 Schedule III minimum is 1 × 10⁸ CFU per ml. For a liquid consortia of 2–3 organisms, the total viable count minimum is 1.5 × 10⁸ CFU/ml.

What IP/gm should Mycorrhiza VAM have?
The FCO legal minimum is 1,200 IP per gram. Higher-potency products go well above it — Orgogrowth's VAM powder is tested at 6,000 IP/gm, five times the minimum, which is why the dose is only 100 g per acre.

Is a higher CFU count always better?
Higher count means more live organisms per rupee, but it must come with a clean contamination report and a correct pH. A high count on a contaminated or pH-drifted batch is not useful. Ask for all three figures together.

Does CFU count fall during storage?
Yes. These are living organisms. Store drums in shade, away from direct sun and heat, keep them sealed, and use fresh stock — which is why the batch date on the label matters as much as the count.

Can I ask a supplier for the batch test report?
You should. Every Orgogrowth batch is lab-tested for CFU count, pH and contamination before dispatch, and the report is available on request against the batch number printed on your drum.

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Specifications cited from the Fertiliser (Control) Order 1985, Schedule III, as amended 2021. Orgogrowth India (P) Limited is ISO 9001:2015 certified and manufactures in compliance with FCO 1985. Figures are batch-tested values; they are not a guarantee of field outcome, which varies with soil, crop and management.