QUALITY CONTROL OF BIOINOCULANTS

 QUALITY CONTROL OF BIOINOCULANTS

·         Inoculant quality refers to the number of specific effective organisms in the inoculant.

·         The Biofertilizer quality can be tested by using Serial dilution method.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) prescribed quality for Bioinoculants

Many private companies are producing biofertilizer in the country and they have been found vary in their quality. Hence, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has prescribed certain specification for the inoculants to maintain good quality. They are as follows.

·         The Bioinoculant unit should contain adequate Microbiological lab and qualified Microbiologist.

·         The inoculants should be a Carrier or Liquid based one.

·         The inoculants should contain a minimum of 10⁸ cells/g or ml with 15 days of manufacture and 10⁷ cells/g or ml within 15 days of expiry.

·         The inoculants should have a maximum expiry period of 6 months from the date of manufacture.

·         The inoculants should not have any contamination with other microorganisms.

·         The pH of the inoculants should be between 6.0 – 7.5.

·         The carrier material should be in the form of powder passing through 17-106 µ sieve that is peat, lignite, peat soil and humus materials neutralized with CaCO₃ and sterilized.

·         The manufacture should control the quality of the broth and maintain records of test.

·         The inoculants should be packed in 50-75 µ low-density polythene bags.

·         Each pocket should give the following information’s.

a)     Name of product, specific name

b)     Name and address of the manufacturer

c)      Type of carrier/liquid

d)     Batch and code number

e)     Date of manufacture

f)       Date of expiry

g)     Net quantity

h)     Storage instructions words under ‘Store in a cool place away from direct sun and heat’.

·         The above items should be printed on coloured ink background.

·         The pocket may be marked with ISI certification mark.