Agricultural Plant Pathology Research
Biofertilizer Production Unit
Increasing use of chemical pesticides for management of soil-borne plant pathogens had caused pollution of soil, surface and ground water besides affecting the crop produce and ecosystem .There is considerable public pressure and pressure from environmental scientists to decrease emphasis on chemical control and use biological methods for controlling plant pests and diseases. Pesticides are necessary at present in India but are not long-term solution to crop health. Besides, their non-target effects and hazardous nature petroleum based pesticides will become more expensive and a poor country like India just cannot afford it and moreover most of them are losing their effectiveness because of development of resistant strains. In this context, the increased emphasis on recourse to biological control of plant diseases is fully justified. Therefore, plant pathologists around the globe are now experimenting to control plant diseases by innovative approaches with limited use of chemicals. It is now well established that certain bio-agents have tremendous potential and can be exploited successfully in modern agriculture for management of plant diseases. Recently, several commercial products of Trichoderma like Antagon, Biocure-E, Bioderma, Dermapack, Trichofit, and Trichosan in India, which reveal that the bioagents are becoming popular. Literature review on Trichoderma and Gliocladium clearly indicated that efficacy of these bioagents in controlling plant diseases improved when used in conjunction with sub-lethal dose of chemicals.
Bio-agents in conjunction with small amount of fungicides may compete well with chemical pesticides in controlling plant diseases.
Bio-fertilizers are the best supplements to boost the crop production, is well established. They increase the fertility status of soil by converting the element in the forms that can be best utilized by crops. Worldwide, the application of bio-fertilizer to different crops is a regular practice hence it is proposed to strengthen the existing center into large scale production unit with facilities for training to the undergraduate graduate students. Recently, the bio-fertilizer production technology has attracted much attention of the small and large producers because of its simple and cost effective nature. The Plant Pathology Section has started “Biofertilizer Production Unit” in 2022 with following objectives.
Objectives
Mass multiplication of different biofertilizers viz. Rhizobium, Azospirillium, Azotobactor, Acetobactor and Phosphate solublizing bacteria, biocontrol agent Trichoderma and Decomposting culture.