THERE is a growing interest and enthusiasm in the production of bora among farmers in Ruby Backdam, East Bank Essequibo, as new yield-enhancing and soil fertility-improving technologies are being introduced to them by the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).

Last year, the agriculture agency introduced rhizobium to the farmers. This is a nitrogen-fixing bacteria that have a symbiotic effect in both soil and seed.

NAREI’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Oudho Homenauth said that rhizobium is an important soil bacteria that has the ability to make the atmospheric nitrogen available to the plants.

The atmosphere is abundant in Nitrogen but it cannot be utilized directly by the plants. Nitrogen has to be converted into ammonia before it can be used by the plants. Rhizobia are soil bacteria that have the ability to do just that – convert nitrogen into ammonia.

Dr. Homenauth said that the bacteria multiply and form nodules attached to the plant roots of leguminous plants such as peas, bora and beans. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria are useful not only for the leguminous plants but also help increase soil fertility for all plants.

“Once the plant obtains its nitrogen through nitrogen fixation, there is no need to apply nitrogen and you will have a reduction in the cost of production, you have better yields in terms of both quality and quantity,” NAREI’s boss said while adding that the rhizobia are environmentally friendly.

This technology will now be transferred to bora farmers throughout Guyana with the help of NAREI’s extension officers.

The institute’s CEO visited some of the farmers last week who have introduced rhizobia and was left amused with the response received. Some of them described the new technology as a miracle and said that their production cost has been reduced.

One farmer, Kapil Deo Rampersaud said that it is his second crop using the bacteria and the result is tremendous. “Would you believe only one dose of fertilizer I put on the crop since I planted and every day I am picking bora for the past week. My plant doesn’t have any bacteria, any fungus and we don’t have to use much fertilizer so we don’t have so much expense like before.”

Rampersaud said that in his first pick, he had bora that was longer than him. “Usually, we would have yellow leaves at the bottom of the plant but not now. The leaves are green, green.”

Other farmers, Sahadeo Baldeo called “Sudesh” and Deodat Seeodat have shared similar sentiments. They said that they have been getting better quality bora with the use of the bacteria and the crop is also growing fast.

These farmers are being assisted by NAREI’s technical staff, Talita Bristol Razack.