Nature formulates field pick-me-up

The PVK bio-fertilisers formulated by the five-member team led by Associate Dean S J Gaikwad comprise a package of seven different group cultures of rhizobium and a phosphate-solubalising azatobacter which help fix atmospheric nitrogen in the roots and allow the plant to source phosphate. While rhizobium helps only monocotyledonous crops, azatobacter is effective for all kinds.

8216;8216;Chemicals are inadequate in controlling soil-borne diseases like wilt, root-rot, collar-rot and stem-rot. But they are effectively controlled by a combination of 10 species of trichoderma, bacillus subtilis and pseudomonous floro-scence which we have developed,8217;8217; claims Gaikwad.

PKV8217;s fungal pesticide formulations 8212; namely metarrhizium, beaurea, verticillium, neaumorea and Bt 8212; Gaikwad says, has proved extremely effective in controlling the deadly heliothis disease of cotton.

8216;8216;The formulations are non-polluting, increase fertility and yield and extremely cost-effective, since a Rs 10-250 gm package is enough for an acre,8217;8217; says Gaikwad. 8216;8216;Hundreds of farmers are using our formulations.8221;

Among them is Babanrao Likhar of Jalalkheda who used the formulations on his wilting 19-acre orange orchard. 8216;8216;The PKV formulations have brought new hope,8217;8217; he says.

Ditto for pomegranate-grower Ramesh Rao, an agriculture graduate from Anantpur district, Andhra Pradesh., so much so he has set up a unit to produce these products.

PKV itself has moved on. 8216;8216;Nematod and termite control are our next targets,8217;8217; says Gaikwad.