Researchers at Anand Agriculture University (AAU) have isolated bacterial strains from soil of Pawagadh mining region in Gujarat, which can help reduce phosphatic fertiliser application in crops by up to 40 per cent.
“Isolates – Burkholderia cepacia and Bacillus – reported for the first time from Pawagadh mining region (Panchmahal district) are found to be efficient phosphate solubilisers,” AAU Vice Chancellor A.M Sheikh said.
“They have additional variety of plant growth promoting traits,” he said, adding that the unique gene in sequence has been deposited at the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).
Phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB) are a group of beneficial bacteria capable of hydrolysing (breaking down of compound by chemical reaction) organic and inorganic phosphorus from insoluble compounds.
P-solubilisation ability of the micro organisms is considered to be one of the most important traits associated with plant phosphate nutrition.
“They by and large have potential to reduce phosphatic fertiliser application in cereal and pulses crops by upto 40 per cent. The trials here are being conducted on soyabean,” Head Microbiology department AAU, R.V Vyas said.
“Compared to those from regular cultivable farmlands, the isolates from mine region show more potential to liberate phosphorus from calcareous soil (having tri calcium phsophate) found in Western states of Gujarat, Rajasthan & Maharashtra,” he said.
“Additionally, they provide potash, a key soil nutrient required by the crops,” Vyas said
“We shall be formulating a liquid from the bacterial isolates of Pawagadh mine region and it will be tested on all the crops. It would later be recommended for the best suitable crop found during the tests,” Sheikh said.
“AAU plans to promote this isolate for the cultivation of Soyabean crop too,” Vyas said.
In the past, AAU has formulated a liquid fertiliser from few other bacterial isolates costing around Rs 150 per litre, which they claim is sufficient for one hectare of farmland and helps farmer save 30 per cent fertiliser.
It has inked MoU’s with state run Gujarat Agro Industrial Coporation (GAIC) and a private firm, for licensing the technology, and products are already available in the market.
In Gujarat, particularly Panchmahal and Vadodara districts are well known for dolomite, apatite and rock phosphate reservoirs.