In 1992, while pursuing her master’s in Agricultural Entomology, Sangita Sawalakhe (56) noticed that farmers were spending a lot on buying chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Despite using these chemicals, farmers were seeing poor yields, and their rising input expenses were pushing them deeper into debt year after year.

“Unfortunately, this resulted in farmer suicides, which disturbed me a lot. That’s when I decided that I will find some cheaper alternative to chemical fertilisers and pesticides,” Sangita says.

She learnt that pests like white grubs feed on crop roots, posing a significant problem for farmers in the fields.

“At that time, there was no usage of biopesticides. I started studying parasite, predators and microoragnisms and found that there are some Trichogramma spp, crysoperla and useful microorganisms which control pest attack by destroying their eggs and larvae,” Sangita adds.

In 1998, her experiments resulted in the founding of Vidarbha Biotech Lab (VBL), which sells 16 kinds of bio-pesticides, bio-fungicides, and bio-fertilisers.

“We make these products using microorganisms like fungi, bacteria, and viruses which cannot be seen with the naked eye but are useful for crops. We refer to them as ‘friends of crops’,” Sangita says.

These products are available in both powder and liquid, priced between Rs 250 to Rs 400 for powder and Rs 700 to Rs 750 for liquid. They are certified by the Central Insecticide Board, Faridabad.

Sangita explains, “The direct advantage of these alternatives is that they control pests and diseases, and boost nutrients in soil by killing pests in their larvae and pupa stages. This prevents the spread of pests in crops.”

She also highlights that bio alternatives save farmers a third of the costs compared to chemical fertilisers, as the microorganisms multiply, reducing the need for multiple sprays.

“Farmers typically use two to three times of 50 kg bags of chemical fertilisers per acre. However, with bio-fertilisers, only 1 litre is required, which is a significantly smaller amount,” Sangita adds.

Sangita has so far helped more than 12,000 farmers in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Punjab switch to organic farming using bio-pesticides and bio-fertilisers.