Microbial Consortium for Sustainable Rice Production

A microbial consortium-based sustainable and economic bionutrient package for rice has been developed to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizer. The components of the package include Pseudomonas-enriched mycostraw, Azospirillum, and cyanobacteria for different niches. Enriched mycostraw had thrice the amount of nitrogen and sulfur, twice the amount of phosphorus and 1.3–1.9 times potash and micronutrients (Zn, Fe, Mn) than rice straw and showed a 17.3 C:N ratio. Such bionutrient package application for four consecutive years resulted in an increase in fertilizer use efficiency (5–10%), ARA activity, Azospirillum preponderance, and soil nutrients like total nitrogen (4–5%), total phosphorus (0.7–1%), organic carbon (14–16%) compared to the initial value. Improvement in all the above parameters was reflected in augmentation of grain yield (17%) and straw yield (14.1%). The bionutreint package, when tested at farmers’ sites, showed an increase of 6–20% and 10–35% rice grain yield in resource rich and resourc...