BIO-DECOMPOSER (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Ecology)

Context: The Delhi government has started preparations to spray bio-decomposer, billed as an alternative to stubble burning, free of cost over 5,000 acres of farmland in the national capital.

Bio-Decomposer

• About: It is a microbial liquid spray which, when sprayed onto paddy stubble, breaks it down in a way that can be easily absorbed into the soil, whereby farmers then have no need to burn the stubble. 
• Also known as: Pusa-Biodecomposer
• Developed by: Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
• Used by: States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi.
• Objective: To address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required for management of crop residue (Cropping System Model-CSM).

oIt is a Central Sector Scheme on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi’ is implemented from 2018-19.

Benefits:

• Soil Fertility Improvement: The decomposer enhances soil fertility by turning stubble into manure and compost, reducing future fertilizer requirements.
• Stubble Burning Solution: It provides a cost-effective, practical, and efficient solution to curb stubble burning.
• Eco-Friendly Technology: Pusa-Biodecomposer is an environmentally sustainable technology, contributing to the Swachh Bharat Mission.