Dr Shabiha Nudrat Hazarika
Founder
Tea plantations in Northeast India is susceptible to several pathogenic microbes, leading to serious disease outbreaks. Fusarium solani (Mart.), one of these pathogenic fungi, causes dieback disease in tea branches, damage foliage, cause tender shoots to wilt and die, thereby reducing the quality and quantity of harvestable shoots. Traditional disease management strategies, such as use of synthetic chemicals are employed to combat this disease and improve tea yield and quality. However, these chemicals have adversely affected the environment and human health, leaving undesirable residue on tea.
Increasing consumer health-consciousness has driven demand for tea that is free or minimally contaminated with chemicals. This demand has led to a search for alternative disease management strategies.
An integrated approach, incorporating biological measures has become essential. Our aim is to develop microbe-based bioformulation/s to provide sustainable fungal disease management for tea plantations, ensuring optimum quality tea production while supporting environmental and human health. This approach involves rigorous identification, screening, and selection of potent indigenous strains associated with tea plants to curate our product. Consequently our bioformulation will be a natural, safe, effective, persistent, and long-lasting alternative to chemical fertilizers.
Our target customers are:
1. The tea industries which are affected by fusarium dieback disease and using
chemicals to combat the fungal diseases.
2. The small or large tea plantations who may need affordable and easy-to-use biofungicides to protect the plants and enhance growth and yield.
We plan to generate revenue through multi-faceted approach which allows us to maximize revenue, reach a wide range of customers, and ensure the sustainable growth of our business.
1. Direct product sales to Tea growers
2. Marketing through existing distributors
3. Engage in co-marketing efforts and sell technology licenses to other producers through joint ventures
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