Russian crop protection firm interested in the bio-capsule patent from IISR
A Russian company called Lysterra LLC that makes crop protection products is interested in the encapsulation technology (bio-capsule) that the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) in Kozhikode developed and patented for crops.
Microbial encapsulation technology makes sure that beneficial microbes get where they need to go. IISR signed the deal with Lysterra LLC to bring this technology to the market.
Director of the Institute CK Thankamani said, ‘Lysterra LLC is the first foreign company to commercialize technology from IISR.’ Also Read | IISR celebrates Women’s Day, urge them to take entrepreneurial role in Agri sector.
Indications that something works
The Director-General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, T. Mohapatra, said that the fact that even foreign companies want the technology shows that it works.
AK Singh, Deputy Director General (Hort), said that microbial encapsulation technology has been used on many crops, including spices, cereals, fruits, vegetables, and plantation crops. This has made it possible for the technology to spread quickly to millions of farm holdings across the country.
IISR has already given non-exclusive licences to four companies in India to use encapsulation technology to make bio-capsules for sale.
More people like it
The product is getting more and more popular with farmers across the country because it can be used to grow spices, vegetables, and other crops. The Institute has given out 1.5 million capsules to farmers on its own.
Unlike traditional microbial formulations, encapsulation makes it easy to store, use, and transport microbial products while keeping the number of microbes high. ‘Depending on the microorganism in the capsule, 100–200 litres of water can be used to dilute one capsule,’ IISR scientists said.
Also Read | Class 10 dropout is now Organic farming adviser to Agri universities & ICAR’s curriculum committee.
Farmers who have been farming for a long time and farmers who are young and have been trained have been using bio capsules more and more. ‘It doesn’t leave behind any harmful residues, and chemical fertilizers and pesticides can be used less often,’ the scientists said.
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