It is a low cost multiplication technology of salt tolerant bio-growth enhancers (CSR-BIO) for increasing productivity of agri-horti crops in normal and sodic soils. The technology is developed to produce microbial consortia of beneficial microbes which have universal applicability, higher shelf-life and lower cost of production. The consortium of microbes enhances the growth, productivity, nutrient mobilization and support the establishment of plantlets. Due to its growth enhancing traits serves as a promoter of growth for crops grown in sodic soils as well as normal soils. The low cost, bio-degradable dynamic media support the growth by increasing the photosynthetic and bio-chemical activity of the leaves. It is eco-friendly cost effective and highly economical. The technology of CSR Bio has spread in 10,800 ha of land covering 7 states, adopted by about 18,400 farmers. The estimated increase in yield was reported by an average of 19.75% over the crops grown (15% yield increase in paddy, wheat, tomato, capsicum, okra, mango and guava, 24% increase in ixora, banana, jasmine and greenhouse tomato, 22% in chili and garlic, 18% yield increase in gladiolus and potato).The additional employment generated due to CSR-BIO is 86,400 man-days. The additional income generation from the technology at the National level is Rs. 15 crores. The CSR-BIO has been commercialized with license to the industrial units viz. M/S Krishicare Bioinputs, Tamil Nadu, M/S Jai Visions Agri-Tech, Ghaziabad, U.P., M/S Alwin Industries, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and M/S Khandelwal Biofertilizers, Kolhapur, Maharashtra for its multiplication and these industrial unit has been producing in liquid as well as solid medium and till date more than 40 tones has been produced and marketed by the industrial units. The bio-stimulant acts as a nutrient mobilizer, soil vitalizer, plant protectant against soil born diseases and growth enhancer for crops grown in normal and salt-affected soils. It prevents environmental pollution caused due to indiscriminate use of fertilizers and pesticides and creates profitable livelihood security to poor farmers owning sodic and marginal lands.
ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute
Forage Grasses on Saline Vertisols
Cultivation of forage grasses, Dichanthium annulatum and Leptochloa fusca in a ridge-furrow planting system with