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Biocapsule, a biofertiliser technology developed by - Indian Institute of Spices Research, has started gaining acceptance among the farming community. The capsule that could be a game-changer in agriculture witnessed an all-time high sales after the lockdown.
The demand for the organic supplement for fertilisers witnessed a spike from May, and IISR figures show that as many as 4,000 capsules were sold in May alone. The average sale of the capsule per month before the lockdown period was only 400.
‘Biocapsules is a revolutionary technology that ensures the successful delivery of biologically competent beneficial microbes,” said Santhosh J Eapen, Director, IISR.
IISR scientists consider this trend a positive one as the use of biocapsule plays a vital role in maintaining soil fertility and productivity. Besides, the capsules can also improve soil quality and environment quality, he said.
The total number of capsules sold from May to August is about 6000. Some farmers even purchased about 1,000 capsules together. The product is priced at ₹113 per capsule at IISR.
Farmers across Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and North East states are using biocapsules.
The bio-capsule uses beneficial micro-organisms including Trichoderma, Pseudomonas, Bacillus etc. Unlike the traditional microbial formulations, encapsulation makes it easy to store, use and transport, while maintaining high microbial count. One capsule can be diluted using 100-200 litres water based on the micro-organism present in the capsule.
According to IISR scientists, 4,000 capsules are equivalent to 4,000 kg talc-based formulation of micro-organisms. As one capsule weighs only 1gram, a farmer can easily replace 4 tonne of formulation with 4 kg capsules.
A noticeable trend is that traditional farmers and young and trained farmers have started using bio-capsules as this method is very cost-effective. It does not contain any harmful residuals. Besides, the use of chemical fertilisers/pesticides can be minimised, scientists said.
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