Over the last two years, Sahai and his associates have been working on multiplying a certain bacteria that is capable of increasing the fertility of crops by reintroducing valuable nutrients into the soil. “A large part of India has always been dependent on agriculture for income but over the years, food production has stagnated due to degrading soil quality. The food security project was started as an initiative of the Government of Switzerland and the Government of India six years ago to develop biofertilisers that will reverse the loss of nutrients in the soil,” Sahai says, adding that the research first began at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT) in Pant Nagar, Uttarakhand, where researchers developed the bacteria, known as the Plant Growth Promoting Rhizo Bacteria (PGPR).

Ravi Sarma, a student who is working on the project, says that in the 1990s, Dr B.N. Johri from GBPUAT collected many soil samples from wheat fields to study the bacteria present in the soil. He studied several strains of bacteria and concluded that two strains—rhizobium R62 and R81—promoted plant growth better. When introduced into the soil, they develop a symbiotic relationship with the roots and start multiplying. This facilitates the absorption of minerals such as phosphorus that is otherwise difficult for the plant to take in.

The bacterium also has anti-fungal properties that protects the roots from infection. After GBPUAT formulised the bacteria about five years ago, TERI and IIT Delhi joined the programme. “In the last two years, we have worked out how to mass-multiply the bacteria. Now we are developing storage solutions for the bacteria which die if exposed to high temperature,” says Ravi.

At the department lab, up to 1,000 litres of bacterial solution can be produced, with a concentration of 35 gram of bacteria per litre. Ravi says the bacterial solution is mixed with talcum powder to increase shelf life. Before planting wheat, rice and pulses, one gram of the powder is mixed with five kilograms of seeds, which are then planted, says another researcher, Krishna Saharan.

In studies conducted in the Indo-Gangetic plains of West Bengal, it was found that the bacteria enhanced soil quality, increased nitrogen absorption and enhanced the yield of wheat by up to 45 per cent. “The project, when implemented on a large scale, will be beneficial because it is not only cheaper than fertilisers but also eco-friendly,” Sahai says.

The project is funded by the Government and IIT Delhi has been requested to tie up with industry for marketing the product. “We are currently in talks with the National Council for Organic Farming under the Government of India that can act as a mediator between the universities and the market,” says Ravi.

The second project was started after Deepak Dugar and Umang Rustagi, students who have since graduated, suggested that green algae, which absorbs carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and releases oxygen, be used to help clean up the environment.

When they got a go-ahead from the department, Umang and Deepak, along with Professor Sahai and fellow-researcher Ashwini, got down to building a miniature photo bioreactor. The bioreactor has a miniature water tank in which algae bought from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute is introduced and left to multiply. On one side of the tank is a tube that introduces CO2 from a cylinder mixed with compressed air. The tank has fluorescent tube lights on top. The experiment was a success—the algae multiplied inside using CO2 and released O2.

Umang explains that power plants could use the concept for reducing global warming by diluting carbon dioxide with compressed air so that the CO2 concentration is 5-7 per cent. “Even if the oxygen produced is not released into the air, it will at least avoid the release of CO2,” says Umang.

Algae can also treat sewage water while absorbing carbon dioxide at the same time. The algae can be harvested in the end and used to produce biodiesel and nutraceuticals.

Deepak, who passed out of IIT in 2008, is currently doing his PhD from MIT, USA, while Umang, who passed out last month, is going to join IIM-Bangalore for higher studies.