The ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram, and the Kozhikode-based ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) have jointly developed three new biocapsules for farmers.
The CTCRI has identified the three new bioagents: one strain of Trichoderma, an endophyte and a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR). They were developed into capsule form using an IISR-patented encapsulation technology.
Trichoderma is a biocontrol agent, besides having beneficial effects on plant growth promotion, improvement in root structure and condition, enhancement of seed germination and increased crop yield, the CTCRI said. “The endophyte is a harmless microbe present inside plants which promotes growth besides suppressing many plant diseases. The PGPR identified is very effective in improving nutrient acquisition besides producing phytohormones and controlling many plant pathogens,” S.S. Veena and M. L. Jeeva, principal scientists at CTCRI, who identified the three new microbial strains, said in a statement.
