New microbial biotechnology platform launched in Vietnam
Wednesday, 2018/02/14 | 06:36:40
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CIAT Feb 1, 2018
Figure: Plant roots are assessed for mycorrhiza, a symbiosis between fungi and roots of the plant. Photo by Madelline Romero/CIAT
As Asian agriculture increasingly intensifies to satisfy food and income demands of a growing population, it meets with the reality of soil degradation. Agricultural activities is one of the leading causes of soil degradation in the region, which in most countries, is already causing a decline of average crop yields primarily due to loss of nutrients in the soil. And while soil nutrient mining is a real concern, what compounds the challenge is a general lack of awareness, by both smallholder farmers and big agriculture companies, of the state of the soil’s health and quality.
The Common Microbial Biotechnology Platform (CMBP) of the Vietnam Agricultural Genetics Institute (AGI), the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and the French Center for Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), addresses this by assessing indicators – measurements – of the soil’s quality, health and sustainability.
As well as soil analyses, the CMBP performs other types of agro-ecological analyses to help respond to the myriad challenges and aspects of sustainable agriculture.
“Sustainable farming requires efforts to better manage soil health, plant nutrition, cropping systems, and agro-ecologies,” says Dindo Campilan, CIAT Regional Director for Asia. “To help achieve this, CMBP seeks to harness microbial biotechnology knowledge, methods and products, especially, those tailored-fit for smallholder producers.”
See more: http://blog.ciat.cgiar.org/new-microbial-biotechnology-platform-launched-in-vietnam/ |
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