1Department of Agricultural Microbiology and Bioenergy, Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University, Rajendranagar-500 030, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
2ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Rajendranagar-500 030, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
3Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar-500 030, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
*Corresponding Author: K. Sudheer, Department of Agricultural Microbiology and Bioenergy, Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University, Rajendranagar-500 030, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, Email: ksudheer11813.iari@gmail.com
Online published on 20 February, 2026.
Indigenous organic formulations, such as Beejamrutham, Jeevamrutham and Panchagavya are widely used in sustainable agriculture to enhance soil fertility and crop productivity. These formulations are rich in microbial diversity, which plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling and plant growth promotion. Understanding the dynamics of microbial populations during the storage period of these formulations is essential for determining their optimal usage period on crops. This study aims to characterize the microbial diversity of indigenous organic formulations to identify the best period for their application on crops.
Experiments were conducted to analyze the microbial populations of Beejamrutham, Jeevamrutham and Panchagavya over different storage periods. The microbial diversity was assessed by counting the populations of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), potassium-releasing bacteria (KRB), total bacteria, yeast, and actinobacteria at various time points. The biochemical properties, including total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, total sugar, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, gibberellic acid (GA), ascorbic acid and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), were also measured to evaluate the nutritional content of the formulations.
The study revealed that in Jeevamrutham, PSB and KRB counts increased until the 10th day post-preparation and then decreased, while total bacterial counts continued to rise. In Panchagavya, total bacteria and PSB populations peaked on the 24th day after preparation before declining and KRB, Actinobacteria and yeast populations also increased with aging. Beejamrutham showed a decrease in microbial population over time, suggesting immediate use after preparation for optimal benefits. Biochemical analysis indicated that Panchagavya had higher total nutrients and IAA content, while Jeevamrutham had greater GA and ascorbic acid concentrations compared to the other formulations. Beejamrutham showed higher non-reducing sugars, IAA content compared to other organic preparations.
Beejamrutham, Indigenous organic preparations, Jeevamrutham, Microbial population, Panchagavya
