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Journalism of Courage
It has already helped grow cereals and fodder in the desertland of Qatar,mangrove species along the highly saline Gujarat coastline,and a wide variety of plantation crops on wastelands covered with fly ash. The next objective is to help grow fruits and vegetables in the arid soil of the UAE.
A technology developed by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) that uses a naturally occurring species of fungus called Mycorrhiza,has been making agriculture possible in the unlikeliest of places. This fungus attaches itself to the roots of plants,and acts as extended arms to absorb nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen from parts of the soil that would otherwise be beyond the reach of the plant.
The fungus also converts non-absorbable nutrients into a form that can be absorbed by plants. The result is greater availability of nutrients for plants even in adverse soil conditions.
In a project spread over three years,highly saline soil in Qatar produced an yield that was,on an average,90 per cent higher than that obtained from some established farms in the country. More significantly,the use of Mycorrhiza technology enabled the cultivation for the first time on Qatari soil of an oilseed crop like sunflower,and a food crop like oat.
Mycorrhizae are among the most common groups of symbiotic fungi. They are found in most soil types but the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has had an adverse effect on this unique group of organisms. We have come up with a technology using different species of mycorrhizae that enables this fungus to multiply in artificial ecosystems, said Dr Alok Adholeya,director of biotech and bioresources at TERI,who has been working with this fungus for over 25 years now.
Use of this technology has also enabled the cultivation of mangroves on a 25-hectare saline dump in Meethapur in Gujarats Okha district. This is the only demonstration of sea water being used for irrigating crops anywhere in the world, Adholeya said.
The government is now close to accepting Mycorrhiza as a bio-fertiliser. The application (to certify the fungus as a bio-fertiliser) is under scrutiny. We hope that it would be done soon, said Dr A K Yadav,director of National Centre of Organic Farming,Ministry of Agriculture.
