Exploring the potential of organic seed treatment and foliar nutrition to achieve sustainability in pulses production

Low productivity is a major challenge in organic farming and needs to be addressed to achieve sustainability. Due to their capacity to fix nitrogen, pulses require less organic fertilizer, which makes organic farming feasible. However, a 20% loss in pulse productivity under organic cultivation has been reported. Conventional farming boosts yields with energy-intensive chemical inputs but causes long-term issues like pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, reduced soil fertility and land degradation. The yield loss can be minimised by alternative inputs like bio-formulations preferably derived from farm waste and other sustainable sources. These bio-formulations often include a mixture of beneficial microorganisms, organic nutrients and natural growth-promoting substances which are cost-effective when compared to conventional inputs and help in improved nutrient absorption, enhanced plant growth and yield, disease and pest resistance, stress tolerance and enhanced soil health. There are several approaches for applying bio-formulations to plants such as foliar spray, seed treatment, soil application, drenching, mulch integration and fertigation, all of which are designed to guarantee maximum absorption and efficacy. This review explores the various organic seed treatments and foliar fertilisation using bio-formulations such as panchagavya, jeevamrutha, beejamrutha, fish fermented waste extract, seaweed extract, vermiwash and biofertilizers to improve the productivity of pulses under organic cultivation.