Role Of Biological Seed Treatment In Sustainable Farming
A global shift towards sustainable farming is the urgent need of the hour. To grow crops, increase food production, and ensure food supply to the increasing population across the globe, it is important to embrace farming practices and solutions that have a minimum or no impact on the environment as well. Various farming practices have led to a reduction in soil fertility, soil erosion, an increase in pesticide pollution, and loss of biodiversity. These are some of the current concerns which need to be tackled and at the same time increase crop inputs. Biological seed treatment can be the stepping stone towards sustainable farming and give crops the headstart they need to get through their most vulnerable growth stage. It is highly capable of minimizing crop loss due to inconsistent or poor germination, reduces the early onset of soil-borne diseases, and inoculates the seed with the right microbiome to ensure it gets the right start to its growth.
What is Biological Seed Treatment?
Biological seed treatment consists of a wide range of products with active ingredients which include microbes like bacteria and fungi, plant extracts, fermentation products, algae extracts, phytohormones. It is either found in a dry formulation or liquid formulation. The procedure for seed treatment includes seed dressing, seed coating, and seed pelleting.
Soil contains billions of microbes, some are beneficial and others are harmful. Biological seed treatment is based on this principle that beneficial microbes can be kept in close proximity to the seed, thus boosting productivity. Microbes like Rhizobia and Azospirillum brasilense have been found by scientists to act on the seed, penetrate root and help in various plant processes like germination, stem elongation, and growth of flower, leaf, and fruits. Some microbes like Penicillium bilaiae and others like fungi increase nutrient and water uptake by roots by making them available for plants.
The demand for treating the seeds with living microorganisms is growing exponentially in the farming sector throughout the world. A few years ago, it would have been too far fetched to imagine biological microbes helping in attaining sustainable farming. But the latest developments in farming, innovations, and technology has made it possible to use tiny little living organisms to transform farming forever. Biological seed treatment is effective and has several benefits. At the same time, the yield and size of the benefits vary depending upon climatic conditions.
See Also: https://organicabiotech.com/biological-seed-treatment-enhancing-the-growing-power-of-plants/
Some of the benefits of biological seed treatment which can help in sustainable farming include the following:-
-It helps in the fight against plant pathogens and reduces biotic stress in plants.
-It may indirectly increase the overall productivity due to enhanced germination and survival rate.
-The availability of nutrients increases and thus improves nutrient uptake.
-Early establishment happens and a uniform seasonal growth rate is attained with a biological seed treatment.
-Yield potential is maintained throughout as crops stand uniformly even in adverse conditions.
– It removes the need for chemicals or pesticides for plant growth thus preventing environmental damage.
There is an urgent need for promoting biological seed treatment among the farming community. The awareness of sustainability in the consciousness of the general public, as well as farmers, is important. This will further push for the development of biological solutions that are eco-friendly and supports sustainable farming. Governments of respective countries too can take essential measures to limit the use of pesticide, nitrogen inputs, mineral fertilizers, and such harmful substances from reaching the farms and damaging the environment.
Organica Biotech is one of the industry leaders championing the cause of sustainable farming. Their revolutionary Magic Gro range of products are safe, natural, and effective for plant growth promotion. The consortium of microbes developed in their state-of-the-art research labs boost plant vitality, plant immunity and enhances seed germination, fruiting, flowering rates and ultimately increases the yield. Not just this, the use of the Magic Gro range of products has been proven to reduce farmers’ requirement of chemical inputs over time as well. More widespread inculcation of the use of such kind of products will be the right step in the direction towards effective sustainable farming.
