Tag: microbes in human welfare

Biofertilizers are organisms that enrich the nutrient quality of the soil. The main source of biofertilizers are bacteria, fungus, and cyanobacteria. Symbiotic cyanobacteria Anabaena azollae fixes nitrogen in the leaves of Azolla ( aquatic fern ). Azolla pinnata ( a pteridophyte ) is used as an excellent biofertilizer in the rice field. 

Cyanobacteria are autotrophic microbes widely distributed in aquatic and terrestrial environments many of which can fix atmospheric nitrogen. In paddy fields, cyanobacteria serve as an important biofertilizer. 

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are well-known nitrogen-fixing organisms used as biofertilizers in agriculture, particularly in paddy fields.

Azospirillum is a genus of nitrogen-fixing bacteria that is widely used as a biofertilizer for various crops, including cereals and grasses.

Azolla is a water fern that has a symbiotic relationship with the cyanobacterium Anabaena azollae, which fixes nitrogen. It is commonly used as a biofertilizer in rice paddies.

In paddy fields,biological nitrogen fixation is brought about by Cyanobacteria(Nostoc, Anabaena).

Nostoc and legumes help in increasing soil fertility by nitrogen fixation in the soil.

Biofertilizers encompass a variety of organisms that enhance plant nutrient uptake, including nitrogen-fixing bacteria (like Rhizobium), mycorrhizal fungi, and nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria.

Some cyanobacteria can fix atmospheric nitrogen in anaerobic conditions by means of specialized cells called heterocysts. These heterocyst forming species are specialized for nitrogen fixation, and are able to fix nitrogen gas into ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates, which can be absorbed by plants and converted to proteins and nucleic acids as nitrogen cannot be directly absorbed by plants. Therefore, some of the cyanobacterial species are used as biofertilizers. 

Anabaena is a genus of cyanobacteria that fixes nitrogen and is commonly used in rice fields to increase soil fertility.