2.Japan
Kinds of commercial bio-fertilizers and their economic positions in Japan
Materials containing VA mycorhiza are only categorized into bio-fertilizers based on government rules in Japan. Based on the government rules, those materials were grouped into an ordinance-designated soil conditioner in Japan. We have several bio-fertilizers containing VA-mycorhiza such as Kinkon king (A King of Mycorhiza), Dr.Kinkon (Dr. Mycorhiza) and Bio-Pump P (Mycorhiza). These materials are used for green soybean, strawberry, leek, egg plant, tomato and so on. Inorganic phosphorus fertilizer was used at 386,287 metric tons / year in Japan, but market share of those materials was only 0.01% of the total of the inorganic phosphorus fertilizer. The production is around 100 millions yen/ year.
In Hokkaido area, farmers are applying Rhizobium inoculants for several leguminous crops. However, those materials do not grouped into bio-fertilizers in government rules. At Hokkaido Central Agricultural Experiment Station, several inoculants containing Rhizobium or Rhizobium + Azospirillum were applied to soybean fields at 2000. They showed that mix inoculants containing Rhizobium and Azospirillum were effectively increased seeds production of soybean at 35% level in comparison with that of non-inoculation plot. This effective value is reasonable in comparison with those of other Asian countries.
Prices of domestic soybean seeds were as follows; Cooked beans 4,200yen ～ 12,300yen ／ 60kg; Nattou beans 4,200yen ～ 6,800yen ／ 60kg; Tofu beans 3,700yen ～ 6,100yen ／ 60kg. We tried a case study of economic evaluation of rhizobial inoculation usage to soybean production area in Hokkaido. Cost of inoculants was 1,000yen/10a. Based on results of Hokkaido Central Agricultural Experiment Station, non-inoculation fields produce 208kg soybean seeds. Total income is 34,736yen/10a. In case of soybean fields with inoculants containing Rhizobium + Azospirillum, those fields produce 281kg soybean seeds. Total income is 46,894yen/10a. This means farmers applying inoculants containing Rhizobium + Azospirillu in Hokkaido will obtain additional income of 12,158yen/10a, if we assume a price of cooked bean is 10,000yen /60kg (167yen/kg).
At 2003, each farmer pays around 2 millions yen for cost of chemical fertilizer in Hokkaido area. Average size of a farmer field is 3 ha in Hokkaido area. If seeds yield with Rhizobium + Azospirillu inoculants become 35% higher than those with non-inoculation, farmers' income increases around 364 thousands yen / 3 ha. If this evaluation is reasonable, farmers will be interested to apply rhizobial inoculants to their fields. However, at remaining area in Japan, the income of soybean seeds production is too small, therefore promotions of rhizobial inoculation system for increase of soybean seeds production are very difficult.

3. Korea
Phosphate solubilizing activity was evaluated by the detection of the solubility of insoluble phosphate using spectrophotometer. Also the organic acids produced by isolates were analyzed by the HPLC. Generally organic matter improves soil microbial activity. Population of Paenibacillus as a phosphate solubilizer was increased by the application of rice straw, rice bran, and molasses in the soil, but data for this study are not shown in here.
Microbial cells itself were used for inoculatnts. But it was found that the useful carriers for selected microbes in the pot test were peat moss and vermiculite. In the field test, yield of lettuce was increased slightly higher than control by the inoculation. However, it should be considered in the respect of the reduction of chemical fertilizer inputs and the environmental conservation.
Yield of lettuce was increased by 103-113% in the field trial. The economic analysis will be performed after final field test. Economic analysis is necessary in the respect of commercialization. Biofertilizers are used as a matter for environmentally-friendly agriculture method. So it is requested that more complex and detailed method for economic analysis would be developed and applied.

4. Malaysia
Malaysia reported on the current status of the biofertilizer industry whereby there are about six private companies producing biofertilizer products, ranging from arbuscular mychorrhiza, nitrogen fixers to plant growth promoting rhizomorphs. Production is still on small scale, and the trend is to use agricultural waste such as oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) and oil palm fronds as biofertilizer inoculant carrier. Even though the current sterilization method used by the companies is thermal treatment (autoclaving) it is seen that gamma irradiation using existing irradiation facilities for carrier sterilization has good potential. Field evaluation using ¹⁵N isotope to evaluate N-fixing biofertilizer on young oil palm is under way at the Golden Hope oil palm plantation in Tangkak, Johor. Economic evaluation on biofertilizer production and utilization need to be extensively studied.

5. Philippines
Yield response and feasibility of three biofertilizer brands were reported. The brands were Vital N, Bio-N and Sagana 100. These biofertilizer brands have shown increase in yield and income. Technology transfer was also reported. Some of good means of technology transfer were through demonstration, exhibits and trade fair, television and broadcast media and support of government though programs and policies. Sterilization of Bio-N carrier by irradiation was also reported. Sterilization dose was determined at 30 kGy. There were however observed changes on some chemical properties of the Bio-N carrier as affected by varying levels of irradiation dose. This data however needs to be verified.

6. Thailand
Evaluation of the nitrogen using ¹⁵N labeling technique showed that cyanobacteria – Nostoc sp. fixed Nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (Ndfa) in the average of 96.6%. The experiment using cyanobacteria cells showed that the efficiency of soil productivity from organic N in cyanobacterial cells incorporated into the soil was lower than chemical fertilizer on the growth and yield of rice. However, the existing N loss was lower with treatments with cyanobacteria cells only.
Study on the growth and survival of Rhizobia in irradiated peat with 1000 times dilution of rhizobial culture injected into rhizobium – attenuated peat, either by steaming using the heat autoclave or gamma – irradiation methods, resulted to a higher yield and higher quality product.
Effect of irradiated carrier on growth and nitrogen fixation of plants. The results showed that the yield of soybean by using rhizobium inoculant was not statistically different from the treatment with N-P-K fertilizer. However, the number of nodule, nodule mass and N2-fixation by inoculating Rhizobia was also higher than using only chemical fertilizer. Thus, the nitrogen could release into the soil after planting soybean inoculated with rhizobium. Sterilization peat with radiation seemed to be better than that of the non-sterile peat.

7. Vietnam
The report describes the experiments and results concerning the survival of Rhizobia in the carriers sterilized by autoclave and irradiation and the effect of rhizobial inoculant with carriers sterilized by different methods to growth and yield of groundnut. Results of experiments show that:

Project name: Biofertilizer
Project leader (country) : China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam
Date: January 13, 2006
Object of project: To improve and disseminate biofertilizer technology