8 months ago
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The Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (TRRI), Aduthurai, is scaling up accumulation and on-field demonstrations of bio-fertilizers to trim farmers’ dependence connected urea and DAP and to rebuild ungraded wellness successful the Cauvery delta, wherever yields person plateaued aft years of indiscriminate chemic use.
“Farmers often use fertilizers successful an advertisement hoc mode due to the fact that highly subsidised urea appears ‘cheap’ astatine the bag, but the semipermanent outgo shows up successful the soil,” said K. Subrahmaniyan, Director, TRRI. “Soil integrated c isn’t improving, the earthy nutrient rhythm has weakened with less cattle and little greenish manuring, and we find delta soils already affluent successful phosphorus— yet DAP is reapplied. Bio-fertilisers unlock the nutrients already present, peculiarly phosphorus and zinc, and their benefits amusement up successful atom quality, tiller spot and wide resilience alternatively than a speedy ocular ‘greening’.”
Bio-fertilizers are surviving microbial formulations that heighten nutrient availability and basal activity. TRRI produces nitrogen-fixers (Rhizobium for pulses; Azospirillum and Azotobacter for cereals and sugarcane), phosphorus-solubilising bacteria (PSB), potash and zinc mobilisers, drought-tolerance inducers specified arsenic PPFM, and algal inoculants (Azolla and blue-green algae) for atom ecosystems. Carrier-based products and liquid formulations are supplied done TRRI’s unit—one of TNAU’s largest— and are disposable connected the TNAU Agri-Cart level and spouse centres.
A decade-scale modulation is achievable by pairing bio-fertilisers with targeted chemic inputs, said T. Sivasankari Devi, Assistant Professor (Agricultural Microbiology), TRRI. “Yields person stagnated due to the fact that soils are fatigued. A balanced regime—about 50% chemic positive 50% bio-fertilisers, guided by ungraded testing—revives microbial beingness and improves nutrient-use efficiency. Over time, chemic inputs tin beryllium chopped sharply without sacrificing yield. Field demonstrations successful delta villages person shown that 50% chemic fertiliser positive bio-fertilisers tin lucifer 100% chemic fertiliser yields, with little pest and illness incidence,” she said. She added that the manufacture of chemic fertilisers is itself energy-intensive and polluting, whereas bio-fertilisers are low-cost and environmentally benign.
Indicative prices are ₹75/kg for carrier-based and ₹350/litre for liquid formulations. Recommended exertion routes see effect treatment, seedling basal dip, ungraded exertion and foliar spray, enabling integration into existing practices. For the salinity-prone pockets of the delta, TRRI said it is moving connected saline-tolerant Rhizobium and location-specific consortia.
To curb wasteful application, TRRI scientists emphasised ungraded investigating and crop-stage timing. In galore delta fields, disposable ungraded phosphorus is already high; PSB tin solubilise “locked” P and trim repeated DAP use. Zinc deficiencies—common successful puddled rice—can beryllium addressed done zinc-solubilising bacteria successful lieu of dense reliance connected inorganic zinc salts.
“Farmers indispensable dainty ungraded wellness arsenic invisible capital,” Mr. Subrahmaniyan said. “Bio-fertilizers won’t springiness the instant ‘flush’ of urea, but they steadily physique the productivity that chemicals unsocial can’t sustain.”
TRRI reported beardown uptake of PSB, Azospirillum and zinc-mobilisers implicit the past twelvemonth and said it volition grow wide accumulation and frontline demonstrations crossed the delta this play to accelerate adoption.
