Workshop on bio-fertiliser technology

Two scientific organisations -Higher Education Commission as well as the Comstech (Commission for advancement of science and technology in the OIC countries) - will host a thematic workshop on bio-fertiliser technology, from Tuesday.
The eight-day workshop at the Palace of Science (Comstech building) is aimed at involving scholars and scientists to devise methods in which they could encourage farmers in the use of bio-fertilisers, and thus to enhance crop production and ensure food security within the Muslim countries.
As many as 20 scholars, ten from OIC countries, and ten local (Pakistani) scholars, are expected to meet and draw up a plan to provide impetus to sustainable agriculture in Muslim countries always faced with the problem of increasing population.
Two experts are expected to come from Bangladesh to participate in the workshop. Yet at the time of writing it was not entirely certain that experts from the Central Asian States would be able to come. Pakistan had not been able to endorse visas to experts from Central Asian States, which are important petroleum and fertilisers producing countries.
The participation is critical to the workshop because the main theme of the workshop is to avoid injudicious use of chemical fertilisers, Anwar Nasim, Comstech scientific adviser told Business Recorder.
He said that in order to increase food security Muslim countries need to adopt the latest technology for enhanced growth of crops, instead of relying solely on imported chemical fertilisers.
The event will also serve as platform for researchers from universities, and research institutions of OIC countries. These experts would discuss Azolla, bacteria, bi-control agents, actinomycetes, mycorrhizae, nitrogen, phosphorus and production of quality organic fertilisers, as well as their marketing, as well as share knowledge and develop collaborative programmes on increasing crop production through the use of bio-fertilisers.
Later, the findings of the workshop will be used to induce farmers to use bio-fertilisers in preference to chemical fertilisers, because scientists believe that improper and injudicious use of chemical fertilisers may aggravate climate changes and agro-environment, in view of the latest thinking that biologically active bacteria supplemented with soluble phosphorus is a better substitute than chemical fertilisers.
It may be added that the Azolla floats on the surface of water by means of numerous, small, closely overlapping scale-like leaves, with their roots hanging in the water.
It joins with blue green algae and nitrogen in the atmosphere to provide nutrient to plants. Thus, with the help of soluble phosphorus plants might be transformed into a type of super plants, growing at great speed, and doubling its mass very second or third day.
Although in many cases actinomycetes bacteria is associated with disease and said that foul smell in farms and fields is caused by this variety it is also known that s variety of this bacteria helps to absorb water in plant roots.
Anwar Nasim added the integrated use of bio-fertilisers could cause reduction in application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides as well as lower the cost of cultivation of crops.