Let us develop a microbial consortium exploiting the synergisms between rhizocompetent microbes or even plant endophytes , that augers well with fertigation . Best course would be to apply microbial cultures through irrigation water, and then add fertigation , so that you can get the value added crop response. Surely , microbes have huge utility in hydroponics , but often disease control is an issue to deal with..
Biofertilizers are such as Rhizobium, Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria provide nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients to crop plants through nitrogen fixation and phosphorous solubilization processes. Biofertilizers is one of the prime input in organic farming not only enhances the crop growth and yield but also improves the soil health and sustain soil fertility. These Biofertilizers could be effectively utilized for rice, pulses, millets, cotton, sugarcane, vegetable and other horticulture crops.Both free-living as well as symbiotic cyanobacteria (blue green algae) have been harnessed in rice cultivation. Once so much publicized as a biofertilizer for the rice crop, it has not presently attracted the attention of rice growers. Azolla is a free-floating water fern that floats in water and fixes atmospheric nitrogen in association with nitrogen fixing blue green alga Anabaena azollae. Azolla fronds consist of sporophyte with a floating rhizome and small overlapping bi-lobed leaves and roots. Rice growing areas in South East Asia and other third World countries have recently been evincing increased interest in the use of the symbiotic N2 fixing water fern Azolla either as an alternate nitrogen sources or as a supplement to commercial nitrogen fertilizers. It is the important and well known free living nitrogen fixing aerobic bacterium. It is used as a Bio-Fertilizer for all non-leguminous plants especially rice, cotton, vegetables etc. Azotobacter cells are not present on the rhizosplane but are abundant in the rhizosphere region. The lack of organic matter in the soil is a limiting factor for the proliferation of Azotobaceter in the soil. Azolla is used as biofertilizer for wetland rice and it is known to contribute 40-60 kg N/ha per rice crop. It belongs to bacteria and is known to fix the considerable quantity of nitrogen in the range of 20- 40 kg N/ha in the rhizosphere in non- non-leguminous plants such as cereals, millets, Oilseeds, cotton etc. The efficiency of Azospirillium as a Bio-Fertilizer has increased because of its ability of inducing abundant roots in several pants like rice, millets and oilseeds even in upland conditions. Considerable quantity of nitrogen fertilizer up to 25-30 % can be saved by the use of Azospirillum inoculant. The genus Azospirillum has three species viz., A. lipoferum, A. brasilense and A. amazonense. These species have been commercially exploited for the use as nitrogen supplying Bio-Fertilizers.
Kindly check
http://www.biotecharticles.com/Agriculture-Article/How-to-Apply-Biofertilizers-603.html
Explore here too..
http://www.iaea.org/inis/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/43/056/43056435.pdf
Dear All .... Many thanks for your time and useful comments.
My sincere appreciation
Can we mix microbial inoculation and chemical nutrient solution through irrigation water or no?
Yes , we can mix microbial broth with nutrient solution . but , prior to that we need to test , whether or not microbes to be inoculated , are able to withstand against a given concentration of a nutrient called complimentarity test. But , thats a strong possibility , Nehal
Liquid bio-fertilizer can easily apply through fertigation and it can mix with the fertilizers. However, preparing nutrient solution for fertigation is bit tricky. It depends upon crop, cultivars and its nutrient absorption pattern, For instance, as most of field crop requires K up to flowering stage, therefore, ratio of K will be gradually increase from panicle initiation to flowering and nitrogen ratio will decrease.
Nehal , interesting would be to see , do we need differential microbial inoculation strategy, according to nutritional demand as per critical growth stages of different field and horticultural crops.
Yes sir, we need differential microbial inoculation strategy. Microbial inoculation or biofertilizer can save part of chemical fertilizers, minimize crop economical inputs and reduce pollution through traditional application methods. So that i interested to ask about other application methods such as microbial inoculation in fertigation system for high benefiting.
Nehal , please find an excellent review covering your subject area..entitled..
Beneficial bacteria and fungi in hydroponic systems: Types and characteristics of hydroponic food production methods
Abstract :
Hydroponic systems have gained worldwide popularity and are increasingly used for various purposes in different geographic areas. The purpose of this review is to present information concerning hydroponic systems, including: the different types and methods of operation; trends, advantages and limitations, the role of beneficial bacteria and fungi in reducing plant disease and improving plant quality and productivity. In order to produce more and improved hydroponic crops, a variety of modified hydroponic systems have been developed, such as: the wick, drip, ebb-flow, water culture, nutrient film technique, aeroponic, and windowfarm systems. According to numerous studies, hydroponics have many advantages over field culture systems, such as: reuse of water, ease in controlling external factors, and a reduction in traditional farming practices (e.g., cultivating, weeding, watering, and tilling). However, several limitations have also been identified in hydroponic culture systems: i.e., high setup cost, rapid pathogen spread, and a need for specialized management knowledge. In addition, many phytopathogens can easily grow in hydroponic systems due to high nutrient concentrations and then they can ruin the entire crop through rapid spreading in water circulation system. Among the various approaches used for controlling pathogens with physical, chemical, and biological methods, we focused on biological controls, especially plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria that are used for biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, and bioremediators. This review intends to provide a better understanding of hydroponics and newly applied systems and the optimization of techniques in existing systems to reduce plant diseases and enhance food quality and quantity. Source : Scientia Horticulturae, Volume 195, 12 November 2015, Pages 206–215
Sprinkler and Drip systems of irrigation have proven to be very effective in this regard. in fact, they have been very beneficial and is one of their advantages.
Another very good review covering the same issue, we need to imbibe certain concepts from such work...
Achieving environmentally sustainable growing media for soilless plant cultivation systems – A review
A b s t r a c t
Soilless cultivation is recognized globally for its ability to support efficient and intensive plant production. While production systems vary, most utilize a porous substrate or growing medium for plant provision of water and nutrients. Until relatively recently, the main drivers for the selection of the component
materials in growing media were largely based on performance and economic considerations. However, increasing concern over the environmental impacts of some commonly used materials, has led researchers to identify and assess more environmentally sound alternatives. There has been an understandable
focus on renewable materials from agricultural, industrial and municipal waste streams; while many of these show promise at an experimental level, few have been taken up on a significant scale. To ensure continued growth and sustainable development of soilless cultivation, it is vital that effective and environmentally sustainable materials for growing media are identified. Here we describe the factors influencing material selection, and review the most commonly used organic materials in relation to these. We summarise some of the renewable, primary and waste stream materials that have been investigated to date, highlighting the benefits and challenges associated with their uptake. In response to the need for researchers to better identify promising new materials, we present an evidence-based argument for a more consistent approach to characterising growing media and for a clearer understanding of the practical and economic realities of modern soilless cultivation systems. Source ; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2016.09.030
Fertilizer application with irrigation water is not very much common in Bangladesh. But we have seen response with foliar application. Depending on number of irrigation requirements and amount of nutrient to be applied for a crop will determine the concentration of water soluble nutrient in each irrigation.
Could get some interesting facts...
In hydroponic systems, the microbial composition and activity of the rhizosphere microflora are less stable than in the microbially complex soil system. Excessive growth of deleterious rhizosphere microorganisms or excessive production of phytotoxic metabolites can therefore be expected, Evidence has been obtained that as yet unknown deleterious rhizosphere microorganisms can indeed have considerable negative effects on plant development in hydroponic systems ..PDF enclosed fro further reading..
Dear Dr. Biswas
I know foliar plant spray is important to enhancement rice plant. Foliar fertilizers are an effective way to compensate for soil deficiencies and poor soil’s inability to transfer nutrients to the plant.
(Attached article about foliar spray of biofertilizers on rice in Egypt).
On the other hand, fertigation is a method of fertilizer application in which fertilizer is incorporated within the irrigation water by the drip system. In this system fertilizer solution is distributed evenly in irrigation. The availability of nutrients is very high so that fertilizer use efficiency is increased in soil then uptake by plant. I can say nutrients uptake by plant are higher in fertigation than foliar spray under flooding conditions in paddy soils.
Article Efficiency of Pseudomonas fluorescens as Plant Growth-Promot...
Dr Nehal,
Thanks. Drip irrigation for horticultural crops are very much efficient. What about field crops like rice? Set up for drip irrigation is costly. For research purpose we tried in Bangladesh, but costly; not adoptibe by the farmers.
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