Cyanobacteria as a source of biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture

Biochem Biophys Rep. 2020 Feb 13:22:100737. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2020.100737. eCollection 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Continuous increase in global human population and depletion of natural resources of energy posing threat to environment needs, sustainable supply of food and energy. The most ecofriendly approach 'green technology' has been exploited for biofertilizer preparation. Cyanobacteria are the most successful and sustained prokaryotic organism during the course of evolution. They are considered as one of the primitive life forms found on our planet. Cyanobacteria are emerging candidates for efficiently conversion of radiant energy into chemical energy. This biological system produces oxygen as a by-product. Cyanobacterial biomass can also be used for the large scale production of food, energy, biofertilizers, secondary metabolites, cosmetics and medicines. Therefore, cyanobacteria are used in ecofriendly sustainable agricultural practice for production of biomass of very high value and decreasing the level of CO2. This review article describes the methods of mass production of cyanobacterial biofertilizers and their applications in agriculture and industrial level.

Keywords: Biofertilizers; Carrier; Commercial; Contaminants; Crop; Cyanobacteria; Technology.

Publication types

  • Review