Microbial inoculant can cut fertilizer cost by half

It’s simply named Vital N.

This is a microbial inoculant that has been found to cut production cost by half and at the same time increase by 15-30 percent yields of rice and other high-value crops such as corn, onion, banana and leafy vegetables.

The technology was developed from a bacterium named Azospirillum by Dr. Ponciano M. Halos, a scientist at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

"This bacterium," said Dr. Halos, "can convert or fix nitrogen in the air and make it available to the plants, hence reducing the cost of commercial fertilizer."

In rice, farmers no longer need to apply four bags of urea a hectare to satisfy the crop’s nutrient need. Two bags of urea are enough when the crop is treated with Vital N.

Vital N contains vitamins and minerals that are essential catalysts in biochemical or metabolic processes within the plant system. In mineral-deficient areas, the inoculant can help ameliorate micronutrient deficiency problems such as zinc, iron and iodine.

It also works in adverse environments (rainfed, saline or even in tungro hot-spot in areas). Results of its bioefficacy test conducted in these areas showed significant effects both for yields and fertilizer reduction, as reported by Ronan Zagado of PhilRice.

For instance, farmers in Villasis, Pangasinan, realized a yield increase of 500 kilograms per hectare in their rice farms using the Vital N, not to mention their savings from the reduced cost of fertilizer.

"The yield increase as a result of applying Vital N is just a natural effect, since the plants are protected from any disease-causing microbe," Dr. Halos said. – Rudy A. Fernandez