Belonging to a farming family in Uttar Pradesh, Akshay Shrivastava, a chemical engineer, was no stranger to the woes of the community.
“I have seen my father try everything to increase productivity; from chemical fertilisers, organic fertilisers, cow dung, you name it and he has used it,” he recalls.
Years later, when he was tasked with a project in the third year of his college, he started looking for alternatives to chemical fertilisers.
And that was when Akshay hit upon the idea of biofertilisers. He and his mentor began testing various microbes across farmlands to determine the best ones for fertilisers. By 2020, he had developed a set of effective biofertilisers.
The fertiliser has four components. The first is a combination of microbes — nitrogen-fixing, potassium-mobilising, phosphorus-solubilising, and Trichoderma — which helps the plant access the nutrients that it needs to grow well.
The second component is agricultural biomass that comprises seven types of biomass such as bagasse, cow dung, etc. The third component is the nanoparticles which increase the resistance of the microbes and help them survive in hot areas.
“The fourth component is a polymer which holds 260 times its weight in water and helps plants in drought-prone regions,” says Akshay.
Akshay claims that his fertiliser helps reduce cost for farmers from Rs 6,600 to Rs 4,000 per acre.
“Because of the polymer, farmers only have to irrigate the land once in 25 days in contrast to once in 15 days,” he says.
Today, Akshay’s biofertiliser ‘Navyakosh’ is making waves in the community. It has benefitted over 35,000 farmers, increasing yields by 20% while cutting costs by 50%. His company, LCB Fertilizers, has achieved a turnover of Rs 1.3 crore.
As more and more farmers are adopting this new piece of wonder, Akshay says he feels it is a personal win.
“I have grown up watching what farmers have to endure because of products that do not perform well. I’m happy that I can help,” he says.