Potential of Cyanobacteria as Biofertilizers and their Ability to Produce Plant Growth-Promoting Substances

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Soil Science and engineering, Faculty of Agricultural, Shahrekord University, Iran

Abstract

One effective method for supplying essential nutrients to plants is through the utilization of the bioactivity of soil and the application of microorganisms that promote plant growth. Cyanobacteria, an important addition to biofertilizers, are gaining popularity for their multifaceted benefits in sustainable agriculture and ecosystem restoration. This study focused on the isolation of cyanobacteria from paddy fields, followed by purification and morphological identification of the strains. We evaluated several key parameters: phycobiliprotein content, nitrogenase activity, phosphate solubilization, auxin production, and siderophore production in Tabarestan Biotechnology Institute in 2018. Subsequently, the most effective strains were selected for pot cultivation of the rice cultivar Tarom Hashemi. The experiment was performed using a completely randomized design, including seven selected cyanobacterial strains and a control treatment, each replicated three times. The results indicate that among the isolated cyanobacteria, Nostoc sp. GGuCy-47 exhibited the highest production of phycobiliproteins. In terms of nitrogenase activity, Cylindrospermum sp. GGuCy-25 and Anabaena sp. GGuCy-42 demonstrated the most effective performance. Additionally, Anabaena sp. GGuCy-17 showed significant phosphate solubilization, achieving a concentration of 641 μg P/mL. For indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production under L-tryptophan-free conditions, both Chroococcous sp. GGuCy-34 and Anabaena sp. GGuCy-42 were the most productive. Finally, Anabaena sp. GGuCy-21 and Nostoc sp. GGuCy-47 excelled in siderophore production. The highest seed yield (15.6 g/pot) was obtained in the treatment inoculated with the Cylindrospermum sp. strain GGuCy-25. These superior and promising selected strains have the potential to enhance the growth and yield of rice crops and may serve as superior candidates for the development of cyanobacterial biofertilizers following further testing in diverse paddy field conditions. Overall, this study documents the potential of cyanobacteria biofertilizers as a viable option compared to synthetic fertilizers for sustainable crop production and soil health improvement.

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References

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Dryland Soil Research (DLSR)
Volume 1, Issue 2
December 2024
Pages 59-66

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