Online Reporter
Obert Chifamba
Agri-Insight
THE Government recently released a flyer highlighting that nitrogen fixing bacteria, Rhizobium, was now available and farmers seeking budget-friendly prices could duck the high costs of conventional nitrogenous fertilisers and procure it from reputable Government sources.
This is good news coming at a time like this when many resource-constrained smallholder farmers are struggling to raise enough cash to buy even a single bag of fertiliser whose prices are ranging from US$30 to about US$40 depending on the source.
At this point it may become necessary to touch a bit on what rhizobium is to make sure farmers know why it may be important for them to use it in place of the conventional fertilisers they use year-in and year-out.
It is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria found in soil and lives in nodules on the roots of legume plants, exchanging nutrients. Rhizobium converts atmospheric nitrogen gas (N₂) into usable ammonia (NH₃) for the plant in a process helps farmers reduce fertiliser needs. It provides plants with natural nitrogen, decreasing reliance on expensive, energy-intensive synthetic fertilisers.
The other positive thing about using rhizobium is that the nitrogen it fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere helps enrich the soil, benefiting subsequent crops and improving overall soil health.
The ultimate benefit of using it is that it increases crop yields after supplying essential nutrients that lead to better plant growth, biomass, and higher yields especially in legumes like soya beans, peas, and sugar beans.
Use of the rhizobium inoculant is naturally sustainable and cost-effective with its low-cost bio-fertilisers applied to seeds and promoting greener farming while reducing pollution from fertiliser especially through runoff. Besides nitrogen fixation, some strains of rhizobium produce plant growth hormones that further boosting development.
It is, however, important for farmers to apply it correctly if they are to get the desired results and more. It starts with seed treatment during which farmers are required to apply rhizobium inoculants (containing live bacteria) to the legume seeds before planting. Available naturally, the good thing about rhizobium is that sometimes applying specific, potent strains ensures maximum benefit, especially if native strains are weak.
Of course, the important observation to make here is that rhizobium is only used for leguminous crops such as soya beans, sugar beans and cow peas to name a few.
It is not used for crops like maize given that they do not have nitrogen-fixing capabilities associated with legumes.
This means that farmers doing leguminous crops can now afford to smile all the way to the retail outlets where the chemical will be available. And they have every reason to be elated because they will naturally not require Ammonium Nitrate (AN) fertiliser whose prices they are struggling to afford.
The advantage with using rhizobium is that it naturally pulls the nitrogen crops need directly from the air and spurns high yields leaving the soil much more improved and ready for the next crop.
It is exciting to note that prices for rhizobium packs start at US$5 and increase with the quantity a farmer so desires. Farmers only need to make sure they have proper storage facilities that include cool places (like fridges or dark rooms. It must not be left in the sun.
Stocks of rhizobium will be available at the Department of Research and Specialist Services (DRSS) head office, Chemistry and Soil Research Institute (CSRI), Soil Productivity Research Laboratory (SPRL), Grasslands Research Station, Marondera, as well as provincial and district Agritex offices, Seed Co, Farm & City and other registered agro-dealers. Farmers can also get expert advice from Grasslands Research Station, Marondera and the CSRI.
Rhizobium is a beneficial soil bacterium that forms a symbiotic partnership with legumes (like peas, beans, clover), creating root nodules that convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, a nutrient plants need for growth, effectively acting as natural fertiliser, reducing synthetic fertiliser use, improving soil health, and boosting crop yields sustainably.
Rhizobium inoculants are used to ensure efficient nitrogen fixation, lower costs and environmental impact while promoting healthier crops and fertile soil for future harvests.
On the one hand, the use of rhizobium will unintentionally protect many farmers from the current plague of fake agricultural products being peddled by unscrupulous dealers. Farmers will find solace in the fact that they will be buying the product from reputable sources identified by Government which kind of nullifies the possibility of them getting fake products that end up ruining yields and causing serious losses.
