|
Organic farming practices are essential in the present day. Growing concerns about the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on environmental health, safety to human beings and destruction of non-target pests have led to the development of biological fertilizers and pesticides. The Biofertilizers like Azotobactor chroococcum, Azospirillum spp. and Rhizobium spp., biopesticides like Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thuringiensis, T.viride and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria like P.putida and P.fluorescens, phosphate solubilising bacteria, Bacillus spp. and few bacterial isolates from panchagavya having plant growth promoting activities were isolated and stored at -20?C. The isolates from panchagavya can be used as a biofertilizer in the place of Panchagavya by farmers those who don’t have an integrated farming system where cow dung and cow urine will be scarce. Low cost medium like tap water medium and biogas slurry with compost were used for cultivation of P. fluorescens and T.viride respectively. Simple techniques to produce their own biocontrol agents by farmers in their own farms were also developed. Biopesticide, Bacillus thuringiensis was isolated from rice field soil collected from Aatoor near Nagarcoil, TamiNadu. This particular strain is toxic to lepidopteran type of pests like rice leaf folder, stem borer, polyphagus pest, Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera armigera, Amaranthus leaf feeder, and Nanthiyavattai leaf feeder. This has been formulated as liquid concentrate as well as wettable powder and tested at small field level for the control of rice leaf folder and stem borer and found to be effective in controlling the pests. Created awareness among farmers at Kothagiri village through Nilagiri Adivasi Welfare Association and among farmers at Perumal aeri village (near Mahapalipuram) about the use of biofertilizers and biopesticides and their significance. More awareness camps are needed to make the farmers realize the significance of biofertilizers and biopesticides and follow the organic farming practices.
|