Bio-based products such as bi ofertilizers and biofungicides ( PGPR) are playing an increasingly important role in promoting sustainable farming, according to local and foreign agriculture scientists.

They were meeting at an international conference in Hanoi from May 3-6 to share the findings of recent research studies on technology using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

Scientists said that the PGPR helped maintain productivity in agriculture, ensure economic growth, preserve biodiversity and meet growing food demand.

The PGPR is defined as root-colonizing bacteria that exert beneficial traits on plant growth and development.

In Asia, the PGPR has been developed and used at different stages, and the commercialisation of the PGPR is a growing market, according to scientists.

According to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh, the PGPR will help reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, thus reducing production costs and promoting sustainable farming.

The PGPR reduces risks in agricultural production and management, he added.

The conference was held by the Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Science in collaboration with the PGPR Asian PGPR Society, the US Auburn University, and India’s International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics.-VNA