Record of the literature on blue-green algae and rice; Ecology of blue-green algae in paddy fields; Physiology of blue-green algae in paddy fields; Blue-green algae and the rice plant; Algalization.
Rice fields provide an ideal environment for harbouring Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). A number of reports are now available to indicate a wide distributional spectrum of these organisoms under different soil and agroclimatic conditions. There is enough evidence that these rice fields cyanobacteria are capable of atmospheric nitrogen fixation in considerably large quantities and to some extent the organic matters. Thus the role of nitrogen fixing Cyanobacteria in the maintenance of the rice field soil fertility has been well sustained and documented. There is now positive evidence for the nitrogen fixing ability of more than 100 species of Cyanobacteria. During growth, Cyanobacteria liberate relatively large quantities of combined nitrogen mainly in the form of polypeptides with lesser amounts of free amino acids. Vitamins and auxin live substance. Approximately 40 to 50% of the algal nitrogen has been found to be recovered by the rice crop. These observations indicate the efficiency of these organisoms as a biological nitrogen source in a rice field ecosystem. In this book, a comprehensive floristic account on the rice field Cyanobacterial studies were attempted. In addition this book also offers an extensive discussion on isolation and cultural techniques and application in various fields. Contents Chapter 1: Biology of Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria); Chapter 2: Isolation, Purification and Cultivation of Blue-Green Algae; Chapter 3: Taxonomic Enumeration of Rice-Fields Blue-Green Algae; Chapter 4: Importance of Blue-Green Algae.
It is an established fact that we must continually increase and improve agricultural production if we are to meet even the minimum requirements of a growing popu lation for food, shelter, and fuel. In recent years, the introduction of new plant varieties and the extensive use of fertilizers have effectively increased crop yields, but intensifying agricultural methods has often led to depleting soil fertility. Two examples of the harmful consequences of intensive farming practices are the loss of up to 2.5 cm of topsoil every 15 years in the United States through erosion and the alarming rise in environmental pollution through widespread use of pesticides. Countless other processes affecting the activity of soil micro flora and the inter actions between microorganisms and plants may pose an equal danger to soil equilibrium, but their potential hazards are often overlooked because of an insufficient understanding of soil microbiology on the part of scientists. In the first published study of its kind, the authors of this book have attempted to address major aspects of the microbial activity of soil in the tropics. Tropical conditions serve as an ideal context for a discussion of soil microbiology, since biological processes in the soil are particularly active in tropical environments in comparison to other settings and in relation to physical and chemical processes.
Distribution and succession of blue-green algae in rice fields; Algal nitrogen fixation in rice soils; Methods for the assay of nitrogen fixation; Algal application and soil properties; Pesticides and blue-green algae; Crop-alga association; Establishment of blue-green algae in rice soils; Algal application and rice yield; Production of algae for field application; Recommendations for field application of blue-green algae; Economics of algal production and application; Indian State level organizational patthern for the transfer of blue-green algae technology; Elements of development programmes; Appendices: General features of blue-green algae; List of nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae; Keys to the orders and genera of some nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae; Description of the nitrogen-fixing blue-green algal genera; Culture media; Isolation and quantification procedures; Proforma for compiling information on the production and performance of algal fertilizer material.
In the recent past, many advances have been made in the field of biology and biotechnology of algae, especially microalgae. This book includes chapters on taxonomy, diversity and physiology of blue-green algae as these organisms are most important from biotechnological point of view. Use of algae as biofertilizer, source of natural colours, bioactive compounds, phytochemicals with pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications, food and feed has been discussed. Environmental pollution is the major problem all over the world. The potential of algae in combating water pollution is also highlighted. Depleting fossil fuel is another concern and it is felt that there is a need for alternative renewable resources. Algae as a potential source of biofuel are also discussed in this book
Microbiology may be described as one of the younger sciences with its history, as a precise subject, only dating as far back as Pasteur in the mid 1800s and his revelation both of the role of microorganisms in nature and their importance to human welfare. Medical scientists rapidly took up the challenge, with their area of microbiology flourishing and expanding almost in complete isolation from the rest of biology. We now know, of course, that microorganisms have always played an important, if not essential role, in the biosphere with fermented foods and beverages, plant and animal diseases and nutrient cycling foremost in their sphere of activities. Within the last twenty years, microbiology has received two enormous boosts with the developments in microbial genetics and genetic engineering probably being the most influential, and the greater awareness of pollution and environmental sustainability following a close second. In 1990, your editor had the privilege and pleasure of being elected as President of The Association of Applied Biologists in the United King dom and, as the topic for his three-day Presidential Conference, chose 'The exploitation of microorganisms in applied biology'. This meeting stimu lated great interest in a wide range of subject areas, from weed control to nematology, from plant breeding to plant pathology, from mushrooms to mycorrhiza. The proceedings of this meeting were published in Aspects of Applied Biology, No. 24, 1990.
Advances in Cyanobacterial Biology presents the novel, practical, and theoretical aspects of cyanobacteria, providing a better understanding of basic and advanced biotechnological application in the field of sustainable agriculture. Chapters have been designed to deal with the different aspects of cyanobacteria including their role in the evolution of life, cyanobacterial diversity and classification, isolation, and characterization of cyanobacteria through biochemical and molecular approaches, phylogeny and biogeography of cyanobacteria, symbiosis, Cyanobacterial photosynthesis, morphological and physiological adaptation to abiotic stresses, stress-tolerant cyanobacterium, biological nitrogen fixation. Other topics include circadian rhythms, genetics and molecular biology of abiotic stress responses, application of cyanobacteria and cyanobacterial mats in wastewater treatments, use as a source of novel stress-responsive genes for development of stress tolerance and as a source of biofuels, industrial application, as biofertilizer, cyanobacterial blooms, use in Nano-technology and nanomedicines as well as potential applications. This book will be important for academics and researchers working in cyanobacteria, cyanobacterial environmental biology, cyanobacterial agriculture and cyanobacterial molecular biologists.
Sharply focused, up-to-date information on microbial biofertilizersincluding emerging options such as Piriformospora indica and Matsutake The Handbook of Microbial Biofertilizers provides in-depth coverage of all major microbial biofertilizers (rhizobia, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and cyanobacteriaas well as new