EXPLORATORY SURVEY OF NODULATED WILD PLANTS CARRYING ON ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN FIXATION IN FOREST AREA OF POONCH (RAWALAKOT) A.K.

Abstract

The research report being presented here pertains to an important field in Biological Sciences specially useful to crop nutrition with regards to nitrogen enrichment of cultivable fields through the use of phenomenon popularly known as BNF (biological nitrogen fixation). There are many facets of BNF. The most common is that one where leguminous crop plants are used in a 'crop rotation', the best example being certain pulse crops such as gram, lentil, etc. and many fodder crops such as lucerne, alfalfa, etc. In recent years, Scientists have found out that there are some non- l e gume s wh i ch can a 1 s o carry on n i t r o gen f i xat i on due t o activities of some special microorganism called actinomycetes in the root nodules of these plants. These plants unlike legumes are shrubs or small trees. Our present research activities relate to these non-leguminous plants in the forest areas of Azad Kashmir. It is considered that application of fertilizers can be replaced by associating fruit plants with such a shrub which can enrich the soil with nitrogen and thus the fruit plant can yield high productivity. Fortunately we have been successful in our efforts and such microorganisms have been isolated and are under investigation for their effective use as a tool of BNF.