Background:
The microbial strains available as bio-fertilizer do not perform effectively and their activity decreases in salt affected soils. The physical and chemical methods for reclamation of salt affected soils of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Bihar and other states are not cost-effective. Also, the salt affected soils suffer from deficiency of macro and micro nutrients impairing crop growth. This microbial technology using halophilic microbes in liquid formulations enhances crop growth and yield and helps in maintaining soil health. Technology Details:
Salt tolerant (halophilic) bacterial strains of Zinc solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) were isolated from native salt affected soils, tested and prepared in suitable standardized media as liquid bioformulations viz. Halo-Zinc. These can be used either for seed treatment or soil application. In saline and sodic soils, where other methods of reclamations are becoming difficult, costly and availability of amendments is not easy, application of these liquid bioformulations helps to remediate salt stress and enhances plant growth and yield through mobilization of essential nutrients. These microbes remediate the rhizospheric environments and allow movement of water and nutrients alleviating salt stress. Plant available micro-nutrients like zinc are deficient in most of the problem as well as normal soils. Zinc can be mobilized through their activities in the soil or rhizosphere and make available to plants in a gradual manner under salt stress. These also help in maintenance of soil health, minimize environmental pollution and cut down on the use of chemicals in agriculture. This technology is affordable for most of the farmers who are small and marginal. Bioformulations are also ideal input for reducing the cost of cultivation and for promoting organic farming on salt affected soils.