FCO · Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985
Bio-Fertiliser Registration in India (FCO)
Bio-fertilisers — nitrogen fixers, phosphate solubilisers, potash mobilisers and mycorrhiza — are regulated under the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985. We handle specification conformity, quality parameters and the State licensing that lets you manufacture and sell.
- Registration for the notified bio-fertiliser types under FCO
- Specification, viable count and carrier quality compliance
- State manufacturing and sale licences
- Guidance on new inclusions where a type is not yet notified
Bio-fertilisers are microbial inoculants that supply or mobilise plant nutrients — nitrogen fixers such as Rhizobium and Azotobacter, phosphate-solubilising bacteria, potash mobilisers and mycorrhiza. They are regulated under the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985, with defined specifications, minimum viable counts and carrier requirements, plus State-level manufacturing and sale licensing. A product that controls a pest is a bio-pesticide instead, under the CIB&RC.
What we do
Specification-led, licence-ready
A bio-fertiliser file is decided by conformity: does the product meet the notified specification, hold the minimum viable count on an approved carrier, and stay within contamination limits? We build the file and the licences around exactly that.
Type & specification
Confirming the bio-fertiliser type and mapping the product to the notified FCO specification and parameters.
Viable count & carrier
Meeting the minimum cell count on an approved carrier, with contamination within limits, through the shelf life.
Quality & testing
Placing the required quality testing and building the evidence the licensing authority expects.
State licensing
Manufacturing and sale/stock licences at State level — the step that turns compliance into the right to trade.
Labelling
A compliant label carrying the specification, strain, count, carrier and use directions.
New inclusions
Where a product type is not yet notified, guidance on the inclusion pathway so it can be brought within the FCO.
Common types
The bio-fertiliser families we register
- Nitrogen fixers — Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, blue-green algae, Acetobacter.
- Phosphate solubilisers and mobilisers — PSB and phosphate-mobilising fungi.
- Potash mobilisers and zinc solubilisers.
- Mycorrhiza (VAM) — for improved nutrient and water uptake.
- Consortia — multi-organism products, where each organism must still meet its parameters.
Each type has its own specification and minimum count. The file is an exercise in conformity and quality evidence, backed by the State licences that permit manufacture and sale.
Answers
Bio-fertiliser registration, answered
Are bio-fertilisers registered under FCO or CIB&RC?
Bio-fertilisers are regulated under the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985 (FCO), because they supply or mobilise plant nutrients. The CIB&RC route applies only to products that make a pest-control claim.
What is the difference between a bio-fertiliser and a bio-stimulant?
A bio-fertiliser supplies or mobilises specific nutrients (for example nitrogen fixation or phosphate solubilisation); a bio-stimulant improves growth, yield or stress tolerance without primarily supplying nutrients. Both are under the FCO but follow different specifications and evidence.
Do I need a State licence as well as FCO compliance?
Yes. Beyond meeting the FCO specification, manufacturing and selling a bio-fertiliser requires State-level manufacturing and sale/stock licences. These should be pursued alongside compliance so the product can actually be traded.
What quality parameters must a bio-fertiliser meet?
Chiefly a minimum viable cell count on an approved carrier, freedom from contaminants within prescribed limits, and conformity to the notified specification for the relevant type, maintained through the claimed shelf life.
What if my bio-fertiliser type isn't listed in the FCO?
Where a product type is not yet notified, there is an inclusion pathway to bring it within the FCO. We advise on the evidence and process required for a new inclusion.