Biofilm fertiliser for deteriorating soil conditions

By Yoshitha Perera

Around 280,000 acres of paddy fields throughout the island have been successfully cultivated using Biofilm fertilisers in the 2022/2023 Maha Season under the ‘Eco-Friendly Fertiliser’ project, Prof. Gamini Seneviratne, Senior Research Scientist, National Institute of Fundamental Studies, said. 

The Biofilm fertiliser is a type of biofertiliser aimed at reviving deteriorating soil conditions in Sri Lankan plantations due to excessive application of chemical fertiliser and agro chemicals. 

Prof. Seneviratne said that the research on developing Biofilm fertiliser by combining two or more types of bacteria and fungi to form beneficial microbial communities was started following the finding of one of his PHD students Hemali Jayasinghe Arachchi way back in 2002.  

Currently, the Biofilm fertiliser is being produced as a public-private partnership project and the Department of Agrarian Development is distributing it among the farmers. 

Kurunegala is the largest district currently using Biofilm fertiliser, and the district's Agrarian Development officers stated that several private companies distribute the locally manufactured biofertiliser to the district.

“The Biofilm has been used to cultivate 150,000 acres of paddy fields in Kurunegala district alone. This is the sixth season the farmers from Kurunegala district are using this fertiliser,” an Agrarian Development Officer from the area said.

The Lanka Bio Fertilisers (Pvt) Ltd is the pioneer company supplying the product to the government. Ushan De Silva, Project Manager of the Biofilm Fertiliser Project said that they had commenced the supply of this biofertiliser in 2020 starting from Kurunegala District. 

“The application of Biofilm fertiliser started as a pilot project in 2020 in Kurunegala District. Ten agrarian development areas in the district are currently receiving fertiliser supplies through this project,” Mr. De Silva said.