The Centre for Microbial Technology was established in 2012 taking into consideration the contributions of the Department of Agricultural Microbiology in the field of microbial inoculant technology. It was established to take up focused research in the field of biofertilizer technology, biocontrol agents for plant diseases, microbial waste management and other beneficial microorganisms related to agriculture. The centre has made remarkable achievement in the field of microbial inoculant technology. The extensive work done led to the development, commercialization and field-level adoption of different microbial inoculants in Kerala. The centre has advanced laboratories for isolation and utilization of agriculturally important microorganisms, quality analysis of biofertilizers, biocontrol agents and other beneficial microorganisms related to agriculture .It played a key role in developing microbial consortium for biowaste management, which is being extensively used by many institutions and households. The consortium is being used widely in urban area for kitchen waste management. The centre is acting as a nodal centre of the state for supply of mother cultures of biofertilizers and biocontrol agents.The mother culture and production technology of the biocontrol agents developed was transferred to State Bio-control lab, Mannuthy, other KAU centers and private companies for commercial production and marketing. Apart from this there is a well-equipped production unit with fermenters, mixing, packing and sealing units and a bottling plant for the production of bioinoculants to meet the increasing demand among farmers. This centre conducts trainings in soil microbial quality analysis for Agricultural Officers and Soil testing officers in Department of Agriculture. Undertakes quality analysis of soil and biofertilizer samples.
Thrust areas:
- Strengthening the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani for R&D in microbial inoculant technology and acting as a nodal center for catering the technological requirement of the State.
- Development and evaluation of new formulations of Biocontrol agents and Biofertilizers.
- Strengthening research on biowaste management.
- Training for creating awareness on microbial technology.
- Advisory service to farmers on microbial technology.
- Microbial technology for bioremediation of pesticides.
- Integration of AMF technology with tissue culture for hardening, establishment and growth of tissue culture plantlets.
- Research on single cell protein
- Food processing and value addition.
Facilities
- Mass production of biofertilizers, biocontrol agents and organisms for biowaste management for supply to farmers and other beneficiaries.
- Instrumentation facility for research on beneficial microorganisms related to agriculture.
- Waste management plant for agricultural waste management.
- Training centre with ICT facilities for creating awareness on microbial technology.
- Quality analysis of microbial products, soil, etc.
- Acting as the nodal centre of the State for supply of mother cultures of biofertilizers and biocontrol agents.
- Advisory service to farmers on microbial technology.
- Well-equipped production unit with fermenters, mixing, packing and sealing units and a bottling plant for the production of bioinoculants to meet the increasing demand among farmers.
