EFFECTIVE ROLE OF MICROORGANISM AND SEAWEEDS AS ...

EFFECTIVE ROLE OF MICROORGANISM AND SEAWEEDS AS BIOFERTILIZERS IN
ORGANIC FARMING FOR A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT
SUB-HEADING – USE OF BIOFERTILIZERS AS ORGANIC FERTILIZERS
ABSTRACT
S.B. Padhi and P.K. Swain
Algal Research Laboratory,
Department of Botany
Berhampur University
India is an agricultural country. Nearly 70% of the population thrive in rural areas, engaged in
agriculture making the backbone of our economy. To meet the tremendous prenure in food production
in the country, chemical fertilizers are used to enhance the crop production. However, chemical
fertilizes and chemical pesticides changed the agriculture scenario in the world.
Microbes play a vital role as organic fertilizers in facilitating uptake of nutrients in a crop.
Rhizobia and blue-green algae fix atmospheric nitrogen and reduce dependency upon artificial
application of chemical fertilizers. Seaweeds are one of the most important marine resources of the
world. Liquid fertilizers derived from seaweeds are found to be superior to chemical fertilizers.
Pollution of the environment has become a major concentration of society. Increasingly the
movement away from organic methods of farming has resulted in the loss of food, nutritional
livelihood and ecological security and at time, life itself.
In this circumstances, India needs a second green revolution based on environmentally safe
technology. Application of biofertilizers as a component of organic cultivation is an exciting area for
enhanced crop production and suggested as an alternative control measure for mitigation of
environmental pollution.
ORGANIC FARMING
Chemical Fertilizers
Two-thirds of the Third World population depends on agriculture for in livelihood. Farming is
both away of life and the principal means of livelihood to 65 per cent of India’s population of 110
crore. Use of chemical fertilizer and chemical pesticides changed the agriculture scenario in the world.
Irresponsible methods of cultivation and increased use of quick release chemical fertilizers, over
irrigation rendered the soil unfit for cultivation. Higher application of chemical fertilizers results in
higher imparts, higher cost of production, transportation and overheads. It results in erosion of local
resources and poverty.
Organic fertilizers
Microbes play a vital role in facilitating uptake of nutrients in a crop. Rhizobia, among several
of these microbes are quite popular for leguminous crops. Microbial inoculation involves the selection
and multiplication of plant beneficial micro-organisms and applying them to plants, seed or soil. The
main use of micro-organisms are as biofertilizers for improved plant nutrition and as a biological
control agents to combat pests, weeds and diseases. Microbial inoculation of plants is of great
importance in less intensive low-input agricultural systems in developing countries (Davison, 1988).
Biological nitrogen fixation
Biological nitrogen fixation holds much promise for developing countries. Nitrogen fixation is
found only in prokaryotic organisms, bacteria and blue-green algae. Rhizobia among several of these
microbes are quite popular for leguminous crops. Inoculants for soyabean account for a very large
proportion of biological nitrogen fixation. Inoculants for forage, pasture and food legumes are also
produced in developing countries. Inoculants use has its main impact on large scale producers
(Eaglesham, 1989). Rhizobium inoculation is considered a key component of in the improvement of
pasture legume production in South America, West Asia and North Africa and it may prove beneficial
elsewhere (Eaglesham, 1989). Pseudomonas and several other bacteria facilitate nutrient uptake and
form a very friendly network around the roots. Symbiotic organisms form a harmonious environment in
the soils, more abundantly in the tropical climates. It empowers the local community to use its own
resources in terms of biodiversity resources and rights, saves on application of high cost fertilizers,
renders the soil health and avoids interference with the environment.
Biologically active compounds may be liberated from blue-green algae growing on the surface
of moist soils. Such compounds may also be released exudates from algae grown in liquid culture. The
blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) are another source of biological nitrogen. They are distributed in
symbiosis with the water fern Azolla. Cyanobacteria are structurally diverse assemblages of aerobic

gram-negative eubacteria (Prokaryotes) characterized by their ability to form oxygenic photosynthesis.
They reduce molecular atmospheric nitrogen to ammonium which can then be utilized for amino acid
and protein biosyntheis. Nitrogen compounds which can be assimilated by other plants are ultimately
released to the soil after death of the algal cells and subsequent mineralization and nitrification. Algal
nitrogen fixation release the fixed nitrogen and its assimilation by higher plants may be rapid (Stewart,
1967). The algal extracts of Westiellopsis prolifica analysed by Fogg and Pattnaik (1966) showed that
ammonium and amide-nitrogen accounted for most of the total extracellular combined nitrogen.
Pretreatment of seeds of vegetable crop with extract of Westiellopsis prolifica promoted germination
and the subsequent growth of development.
Mycorrhizal associations
Mycorrhizal associations (symbioses between certain fungi and the roots of vascular plants)
can increase the rate of uptake of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous from deficient soils. The
production of mycorrhizal inocula may well be possible.
Seaweed biofertilizer
Seaweeds are one of the most important marine resources of the world. Seaweed extracts have
been marketed for several years as fertilizer additives and beneficial results from their use have been
reported (Booth, 1965). The possibilities of using seaweed in modern agriculture has been investigated
by many (Thivy, 1961; Aitken and Sen 1965; Boney, 1965). Different forms of seaweed preparation
such as LSF (Liquid Seaweed Fertilizers), SLF(Seaweed Liquid Fertilizers), LF (Liquid Fertilizers),
and either whole or finally chopped powered algal manure have been used and all of them have been
reported to produce beneficial effects on cereals, pulses and flowering plants. Seaweed manures have
the advantage of being free from weeds and pathogenic fungi. Liquid extracts of brown algae are being
sold as biostimulants or biofertilizers in various brand names. Promising increased crop yield, nutrient
uptake, resistance to frost and stress, improved seed germination of reduced incidence of fungal and
inspect attack have been resulted by application of SLF. Seaweeds are known to contain appreciable
quantities of plant growth regulators (Mooney and Van Staden, 1985), Cytokinin (Smith and
Vanstaden, 1984), IAA (Abe, H. et al., 1972), gibberllins and gibberllin like substance (Bentley, 1960;
Radley, 1961; Sekar et al., 1995). Hence marine algae, particularly seaweeds have a vital role to play in
agriculture, especially in the third world country where irrational use of chemical fertilizer and
pesticides is a cause of concern. Extensive regional tribals would need to be conducted with the product
to determine the environmental limits on biological activity and monitor the survival and dispersal of
the inocula (Davison, 1988). Hence use of modern agriculture in conjunction with traditional farming
practices is the sustainable solution for the future.
References
Abe, H, Vchiyams, M. and Sato, R., 1972. Isolation and identification of nature action in marine algae.
Agro. Biol. Chem. 36:2259-2260.
Aitken, J.E. and Senn, J.L. 1965. Seaweed products as fertilizer and sal conditions. Bot. Mar. 8:144-
148.
B. Nanda, S.K. Tripathy and S. Padhi, 1991. Effect of algalization on seed germination of vegetable
crops. World Journal of microbiology and biotechnology 7:622-623.
Bentley, J.A. 1960. Plant hormones in marine phytoplankton, zooplankton and seawater. J. Mar. Biol.
Ass. U.K., 39:433-444.
Boney, A.D. 1965. A biology of marine algae. Hutchinson on Educational Ltd., London.
Booth, E. 1965. The manorial value of seaweed. Bot. Mar. 8:138-143.
Davison, J. 1988. Plant beneficial bacteria. Biotechnology, 6 March, 1988, 282-286.
Fogg, G.E. and Pattnaik, H. 1966. The release of extracellular nitrogenous products by Westiellopsis
prolifica janet. Phykos, 5:58-67.
Mooney, P.A. and Van Staden, J. 1985. Effect of seaweed concentrate on the growth of wheat under
condition of water fern. S. Afr. J. Sci. 8:632-633.
Radley, M. 1961. Gibberllin-like substances in plants. Nature, London 191:684-685.
Sekar, R. Thangaraju, N. and Rangasamy, R. 1995. Effect of seaweed liquid fertilizer from Ulva
lactuca L. on vigna Unguiculata L. (Walp) Phykos. 34:49-53.
Smith, F.B.C. and Van staden, J. 1984. The effect of seaweed concentrate and fertilizer on growth and
endogenous Cytokinin content of Phaseolus vulsaris. South African journal of Botany, 3:375-379.
Stewart, W.D.P. 1967. Transfer of biologically fixed nitrogen in a sand dune slack region. Nature 214,
603-604.
Thivy, F. 1961. Seaweed manure for perfect sal and smiling fields. Salt. Res. Indust. 1:1-4

PERSONNEL INFORMATION
NAME AND ADDRESS
Prof. S.B. Padhi
Professor of Botany
(Coordinator Biotechnology)
Algal Research Laboratory
Department of Botany
Berhampur University
Telephone Numbers : 9337503243
0680-2292182
E-mail: sailabala_padhi@gmail.com
Name : Prof. (Mrs.) S.B. Padhi
Date of Birth: 7 th June 1950
Institution : Algal Research Laboratory
Department of Botany
Berhampur University
Pin-760 007
Academic and professional profile (M.Sc. onwards)
Sl. No. Degree Name Name of the
institution
1 M.Sc. Berhampur
University
2. M.Phil. Berhampur
University
3 Ph.D. Berhampur
University
4. D.Sc. Berhampur
University
List of publication -63
Completed research project -4
Foreign country visited – USA, Canada, Bangladesh
International / National conference attended - 30
M.Phil. awarded – 35
Ph.D. awarded -20
D.Sc. Awarded - 1
Rank and year
place of award
1978
1983
1993
Specialisation
Algology (Fresh
water and Marine
algae)
Prof. (Mrs.) S.B. Padhi