Research details

2. Development of multifunctional microbial fertilizers by applying indigenous nitrogen-fixing bacteria and photosynthetic bacteria in Taiwan

Nowadays, the pursuit of quality, fresh, non-toxic and safe has become the trend of global agricultural production. In recent years, microbial technologies have been widely used to solve agricultural and environmental problems. Biofertilizers, such as microbial inoculants, which can help to improve soil quality, promote growth of crops, and prevent some soil-born diseases. Therefore, the new approach to farming is regarded as environmental friendly, and can be used to reduce excessive amount of chemical fertilizer application, and ensures a sustainable crop production.

Fertilizer efficiency and safety are essential factors for high-quality biofertilizers, which result in success and acceptance by its end-user, the farmers. However, the R&D of commercial biofertilizera requires a variety of key bio-technologies and the capability for industrial production. To put biofertilizer from bench to practical use, it needs close collaboration between academia and industry. The aim of this Industry-Academy Cooperation project is to develop a novel, multi-functional biofertilizer product, which can provide N-PK nuitrients, sustain soil fertility, promote crop yield, and also reduce plant diseases. We plan to isolate two major groups of domestic microorganism (associative nitrogen-fixing bacteria and photosynthetic bacteria ) from various agricultural lands in Taiwan. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria can convert the nitrogen gas into available form to sustain the nitrogen requirement of host plants. They are potent microbial inoculants, and are now universally used for growth promotion of plants. Photosynthetic bacteria (also called phototrophic bacteria) are capable of photoautotrophy, and possess diverse capacities for dark metabolism and growth. They synthesize useful substances from secretions of roots, and these molecules are directly absorbed by plants. Furthermore, their second metabolites have been reported to suppress some soil borne pathogens. We select the candidates which are physiologically and ecologically compatible with each other, and that can be introduced as mixed cultures or co-inoculants into soils, where their beneficial effects can be demonstrated.