Insights into Cow Dung-Based Bioformulations for Sustainable Plant Health and Disease Management in Organic and Natural Farming System: a Review

Modern farming systems affect soil health and biodiversity due to the excessive and indiscriminate use of fertilisers, leading to a reduction in soil enzymatic activities, especially mineralising enzymes. It has emphasised the importance of developing long-term, eco-friendly, and environmentally sound alternative agricultural approaches. Organic and natural farming is based on the use of indigenous fermentation technologies, like bioformulations based on cow dung and liquid manures. Cow dung is an essential and integral component of all these preparations and serves as a source of inoculum for beneficial microorganisms. As cow dung harbours beneficial microflora, bioformulations prepared from the products of indigenous cows can offer eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives to soil inoculants and biopesticides. The use of these bioformulations prepared from cow dung is gaining popularity among farmers practicing organic and natural farming to fight against the adverse effects of chemical fertilisers and pesticides without knowing their dosage and time of application, etc. This review is an attempt to collect all the scientific research findings that support the importance of cow dung microflora, cow urine, genomics of cow dung microflora using metagenomics approach, preparations of different bioformulations and their role in plant growth-promoting activity, antimicrobial activity, role in biotic and abiotic stress, and the uses of cow dung in biogas production and in industries which are not covered and fully discussed in previous reviews of organic and natural farming. The major points of review are as follows: (1) Organic and natural farming systems are often associated with traditional or indigenous agricultural practices using cow dung and cow urine as main components to increase soil fertility and microbial diversity. (2) Cow dung has a wide diversity of microorganisms, which help in plant growth, yield, and protection from potential pathogens. (3) Cow dung is a cheap, eco-friendly, and organic source of fertiliser that is being explored for possible other uses. That is why it would not be wrong to conclude cow dung is a “potential unexplored mine of usefulness”.