CROP INOCULANTS- AN UNDEREXPLORED POTENTIAL IN AGRICULTURE
Shahida N.Khokhar*
ABSTRACT
Food security, poverty alleviation and environmental concerns have caused a shift in paradigm from use of agrochemicals to green way of life. Bioinoculants are in perfect harmony with the concept of Evergreen Revolution. They have the potential to improve value cost ratio (VCR) of agricultural production. Pakistan faces increase in degraded lands, water shortage, energy crisis, all contributing to poverty. During last two decades, many efforts were made to address the issue through developing and applying the inoculants. Several research institutions including National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad, Pakistan contributed significantly to these efforts. There are many reports on achieving increase in yield of legumes, cereals (wheat, maize) and vegetable crops. This however has yet to be taken to farmers' field effectively. The present paper reviews these efforts, lapses and unfolds new strategies in research and extension in future.
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