Azolla as a Source of Biofertilizer for Sustainable Crop Production – A Literature Review

Abstract

Azolla has been exploited widely as biofertilizer for rice and some crop plants, and it fixes atmospheric nitrogen due to the presence of a symbiotic cyanobacterium, Anabaena azollae. It has several other uses such as food, feed, biogas producer and hyper accumulator of heavy metals, etc. Agricultural fertilizers are essential to enhance proper growth and crop yield. Recently, farmers have been using chemical fertilizers for quicker and better yield. But these fertilizers endanger ecosystems, soil, plants, and human and animal lives. The use of bio-fertilizers like Azolla not only increases the crop productivity but also improves the long term soil fertility. This multidimensional uses of Azolla-Anabaena system would be ideal and environment friendly in sustainable agriculture.The current study critically reviewed the Azolla’s potential capacity to be used in sustainable agriculture.