The Agricultural Bacteriology Section was started during the year 1957 with an objective to isolate the beneficial microorganisms from various crops and rhizospheric soil and to utilize them for maintaining soil fertility and enhancement of crop yields. Dr. V. P. Bhide, the world well known microbiologist was appointed as the first Agricultural Bacteriologist. Under his able leadership, the Biological Nitrogen Fixation Scheme was put into operation on 17th May 1960 vide G.R. No. A. and F.D. No. ICAR.4259/B.dt 23rd Oct 1959 and number of different strains of different beneficial microbes were developed and used for commercial production of different bioinoculants viz., Azotobactor, Rhizobium, Acetobacter Azospirillium and Blue-Green Algae since 1974.
Further, efficient cellulolytic and phosphate solubilizing microorganisms also isolated, screened and started their mass multiplication since 1985. The capacity production unit of biofertilizers is 100 MT every year. Awareness about these inoculants has been brought about amongst the farmers through trainings, demonstration, mass communication media and personal contacts. All these efforts have resulted into establishment of number of commercial Biofertilizers production units supplying hundreds of MT of different Biofertilizers.