Micronutrient Research Centre (ICAR)

Anand Agricultural University

Anand - 388 110

Contact: +91 99240 47101

E-mail: micro.anand@aau.in

                  The significant of micronutrients in sustenance of soil fertility and productivity paved the way to boost-up agricultural production. The “Green Revolution” in the crop led to heavy stress on nutrient supply capacity of soils especially secondary and micronutrients. In view of these developments, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi started the All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Micronutrients in Soils and Plants at nine centres in the country in 1967; and erstwhile Institute of Agriculture presently known as Anand Agricultural University, Anand is one of them. From the VII^th Five Year Plan onwards, the objectives of the scheme were broadened by incorporating research on secondary nutrients and pollutant elements. Since then, the centre is conducting researches on various aspects of secondary and micronutrients as well as pollutant elements in soils and plants. Now, the centre has initiated work on Soil-Plant-Animal-Human continuum.

LOCATION APPROACH DETAILS (Mode of travel to reach to the centre)                     

Ahmedabad Airport: 85 km

Vadodara Airport: 45 km

Anand ST Bus Station: 5 km

Anand Railway Station: 5 km

GPS Location: N 22⁰ 32.062’, E 72⁰ 58.945’

MANDATE

To delineate micro and secondary nutrient deficient areas of Gujarat and to carry out related studies to maintain soil fertility and enhance crops productivity on sustainable basis.

OBJECTIVES

1. To delineate and/or reassess and mapping of micro- and secondary- nutrients (MSN) deficient/toxic areas using GPS/GIS and developing amelioration techniques for their correction.
2. Micronutrients indexing for forecasting emerging MSN deficiencies and toxicities in crops and soils in different soil, crop and management systems.
3. Revising the critical limits of MSN and establishing phytotoxic limits of heavy metals in different soils and crops including vegetables.
4. To develop suitable techniques for increasing fertilizer-use-efficiency along with inclusion of nano fertilizers, organic manures, sewage sludge for ameliorating the MSN deficiencies in crops and soils.
5. To monitor hazards from heavy metal or pollutants in soil, plant and animal.
6. To develop agronomic biofortification approaches for micronutrients enrichment and to identify mechanism and processes of micronutrients enrichment and their role in reproductive physiology. 
7. To study micronutrients in soil- plant- animal- human continuum.
8. Dissemination of micronutrients technologies through frontline demonstration and suitable publication for enhancing the micronutrients use and its impact on soil, animal and human health and crop productivity.

SALIENT Achievements

        Research on Secondary and Micronutrients

1. The project has brought out about 52 recommendations for farmers’ community and 7 recommendations for scientific community with regard to use of micro and secondary nutrients.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Click here - I
2. Prepared thematic deficiency maps of Gujarat for important physico-chemical properties using GIS techniques and also prepared micronutrient content soil maps of Gujarat with recommendations (Nutrient deficiency per cent based maps: DMS per cent soils). Click here - II
3. There are 6 long term projects ongoing at centre. About 8 projects from GOI/ICAR/World Bank, 2 plan projects funded by GOG and 28 other agency projects are completed at centre.  Click here - III
4. About 10 Research papers published in International journal and 7 in National journal from this centre. About 8 Research papers presented at National seminars/conferences. About 7 popular articles and 19 Book/Book chapters published. In about 51 events viz. Conferences, Meetings, Workshops, Symposia/Training etc. in India and Abroad of Scientists participated. About 12 extension activity programs were also organized. 24 Recognition achieved in form of Awards from this centre from last five years. Click here - IV
5. Tested iron bioavailability using rat model and found that bioavailability of Fe from pigeon pea efficient variety was comparable with standard diet comprising of FeSO₄ in the liver, kidney and femur bone as indices of intestinal absorption and deposition in rats.
6. Depletion of micronutrients noticed under continuous cropping which supports use of micronutrient containing fertilizers.
7. Different S and B sources were evaluated to find out efficient source for increasing crop productivity.
8. Efficiency of nano particles using different crops and cropping systems was evaluated and found Zn either in form of nano or conventional source found beneficial to increase the yield of crops.
9. The result of Zn phasing experiment emphasizes the importance of Zn retention capacity in response to different rates and frequencies of Zn application to maize and wheat crop.
10. Boron phasing study revealed that the either application of 1.0 kg or 1.5 kg B ha^-1 alternate year or application of 0.5 kg B ha^-1 every year was found beneficial for groundnut-cabbage cropping system.
11. Evaluated S and micronutrient containing customized fertilizers which was found equally effective as conventional fertilizers.
12. Different vegetable grown in peri urban areas of Gujarat were analyzed for nutrient contents. It was noticed that iron and zinc contents found higher in Cucurbitaceae and Malvaceae vegetable family, respectively. In case of other crops, the results revealed about the higher Fe contents in Medicinal crop group; while higher Zn contents were recorded in oilseeds group of crops.
13. Nutrient uptake mechanistic model found useful to understand the utilization behavior of nutritionally important micronutrients in different crops.
14. About 650 Front Line Demonstrations were conducted on farmers’ field and Farmers' Shibir/Day were also organized in last five year in order to convince the farmers about the use of secondary and micronutrients in enhancing crop productivity and quality.

Research on Pollutant Elements

15. Assessment and characterization of heavy metals contamination in agricultural soils and plants in peri urban and industrial areas have been conducted. The contamination was indicated of soil-water-plant system with heavy metals.
16. Phyto-toxicity loading limits of Ni and Cd were worked out for vegetables viz., fenugreek and tomato in order to provide information on effects of possible high level contamination of soil with these metals in peri urban areas where effluents are intercepted for irrigating fields by the farmers.

Collaborative Study

17. Identified Rhizobium strains capable of Fe (Rhizobium -16) and Zn (Rhizobium -19) mobilization. The isolate Rhizobium -16 identified as rhizobium pusense, NCBI ACCN no. KC787581.
18. A study conducted on soil-plant-animal-human health continuum in micronutrient deficient areas revealed that the Leucopenia is positive in female of high disease incidence villages and this can be correlated with low level of zinc & copper depended enzyme activities.
19. With increasing the importance of nutritional important nutrients specially Zn and Fe in soil and human health, the research work by taking up studies on bio-fortification and bio-assimilation of micronutrients and linking the soil micronutrients with human health through  soil-plant-animal/human continuum study have also done.
20. A study was also initiated in collaboration with the Pramukhswami Medical College Karamsad to study the micronutrients levels in blood serum of people of tribal area of Dhanpur taluka, Dahod in relation to Soil-Plant-Animal-Human continuum.