Research Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences __________________________________

______________________________ ISSN 2320-6063

Vol. 5(5), 14-16, May (2017)
(201 Res. J. Agriculture and Forestry Sci.

Short Communication
Studies on influence iofertilizers on Lycopersicon
nfluence of blue green algae as biofertilizers
esculentum (Tomato) plants
Preeti Dobhal* and Parul Singhal
Department of Botany, Alpine Institute of Management and Technology, Nanda Ki Chowki, Prem Nagar Dehradun, 248007, Uttarakhna
Uttarakhnad, India
dobhalpreeti@ymail.com
Available online at: www.isca.in, www.isca.me
Received 3rd April 2017, revised 20th April 2017, accepted 2nd May 2017
201
Abstract
Since the upcoming green revolution technologies, modern agriculture has been getting much more dependence on fertilizer.
The green revolution brought impressive gains in food grains production for ever growing population in the country, but due
to their adverse
dverse effect on environment and soil,
soil Long Term Fertilizer Experiment (LTFE) has established that complete
dependence on these chemical based fertilizers will not be useful in the future. Combination of inorganic fertilizers, green
manures and biofertilizers
ers can only retain the production of crop, preserve fitness and biodiversity of soil. In present study it
is analysed that blue green algae is promoting the growth of tomato plants in soil. This study shows a positive influence of
blue green algae as biofertilizer
ertilizer on various growth parameters taken during the experiment performed.

Keywords: Biofertilizer, Blue green algae, Crop production, Nitrogen Fixation, Soil.

Introduction relatively short time intervals1. The demand for chemically

fixed Nitrogen is bound to be on the increase and the Nitrogen
Man started cultivating land in a proper way for cereals around gap gets enlarged.
arged. Such a gap would be difficult to bridge in the
8000 B.C. Very soon he learned that the same land cannot rise of the energy crisis. Furthermore, in an area of chemical
support the growth of plants endlessly and this led him to think fixation, no major breakthrough is yet visible to minimize the
about way to improve the fertility of soil. The earliest records energy requirements of the conventional Haber process, for the
indicate
ate that the Romans and Aryans had many manuals for production of ammonia. In developing countries, the
farmers to improve the cultivation of crops. construction of new Nitrogen fertilizer plant is not only
expensive but also time consuming. The combination of
Man made fertilizers as we know them today, those containing Nitrogen and Hydrogen could also be accomplished by Nitrogen
Nitrogen, Diphosphate Pentaoxide and Potassium, increase the fixing microorganisms in soil and within the nodular tissue of
output of agricultural products and meet the ever increasing certain plants at ordinary pressures and temperature mediated by
demands of the human population, which have been further an enzyme known as ‘Nitrogenase’.
accentuated by the limited availability of additional fertile land.
The world’s population, food production and fertilizer’s Increased cost of the fertilizers is becoming an economic
consumption have increased gradually. To guarant
guarantee enough constrain for the farmers of the developing countries like
food for all, either the population growth has to be stemmed or Bangladesh and India.. Still, the regular use of chemical
more fertilizer has to be found to fulfill an ever increasing fertilizers creates an imbalance in field, which affects it both
requirement for protein. Thus, an increase in world’s fertilizer economically and biochemically. It will help in protecting the
requirement by 2025 would be approximately three times the health of soil and the quality of crop products. The beneficial
rate of current consumption. effect of biofertilizers aree addition of nitrogen, increased soil
organic matter and soil aggregation2. Therefore, the strategy for
Nitrogen is a very common limiting factor for proper and quick improving agricultural production in developing countries
growth of all plants. Thus, sufficient supply of Nitrogen is very should take into account inexpensive and realistic programmes
important. Nitrogen fixation is one the most important to augent biological Nitrogen fixation.
f The concept of
biological processes and though, the atmosphere contains 79% biofertilizer is nowadays being achieving momentum and is
Nitrogen, mostost of the plants cannot utilize it. They can only greatly practiced in rice fields in so many countries. The
utilize combined Nitrogen like Ammonium, Nitrate, Nitrite etc. algalization technology has been reported to be successful to a
Nitrogen is a constituent of proteins, nucleic acids, chlorophylls, great extent in India3. Blue green algae extracts excretes
e a great
enzymes and other physiological substances in green plants. number of substances that influence plant growth and
Nitrogen is thee macronutrient that is requires in high amounts by development4. Cyanobacteria attract the attention of scientists
plants, and its availability in the soil may change substantially in

International Science Community Association 14

Research Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences _______________________________________________ ISSN 2320-6063
Vol. 5(5), 14-16, May (2017) Res. J. Agriculture and Forestry Sci.

due to their nitrogen fixing capacity and hence their role in the Table-1: Result of the experiment performed on the tomato
maintenance of soil fertility is well documented5. plant is depicted.
Growth Height
Fresh Dry Number
In the present study tomato was taken as the tester crop plant. parameter of the
matter matter of
Tomato is among the most important vegetable crops of India. It Soil plant
yield(g) weight(g) leaves
is a rich source of vitamins A, C, minerals, fibers and conditions (cm)
potassium. It has been suggested as a “functional food”, a Controlled
particular food which is providing not only basic nutrition but 14.3 4 0.001 8
conditions
also preventing severe diseases and providing other health
benefits, due to useful phytochemicals present in it such as 250 g bga/kg soil 26.58 14 1.5 26
lycopene and beta-carotene pigments.
The application was effective in increasing the growth
Materials and methods parameters of tomato plants. This shows the efficiency of blue
green algae in increasing the growth of tomato plant in soil in
Total Twenty seeds were sown in each pot of blocks A, B, and low nitrogen fertility. In comparison to the plants which were
C under controlled and blue green algae treatment conditions. grown in controlled conditions, the plants under blue green
The soil used in the present study was 1-18cm deep and taken algae treatment show easily noticeable changes both
from garden located in Turner road, Clement Town region of qualititatively and quantitatively. Blue Green Algae proved to
Dehradun in polythene bags. Some mechanical, physical and be very effective in increasing height of tomato plant by 85.8%.
chemical properties of soil were analysed before conducting the The data of present study shows that there is significant increase
pot experiment. Nitrogen fixing blue green algae Nostoc was in dry matter and fresh matter of tomato plants. Similar
used for the present study. This blue green algae was choosed information in positive influence of tomato plant due to
due to its easy availability, quick growth and good nitrogen Cyanobacteria has also been advanced by other investigators6.
fixing ability. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) one of the Blue green algal fertilizers in the soil were shown to exert a ever
most important vegetable crops grown in India was chosen to be lasting effect. They were promising alternative for agrochemical
the indicator plant in this study. Plants were raised in clay fertilizers in avoiding soil pollution. These biofertilizers can
flower pots with a central drainage hole. The inner surface of also recover the nutrients long after harvest. So, further long
the pots along with the top of outer rim was lined with acid term study on soil inoculated with microalgae is needed. The the
washed polythene with a central hole superimposed on the results of the present investigation revealed the beneficial role
drainaged hole of the pot. Normal tap water was used during of blue green algae.
experiment. Six pots were taken for the experiment and they
were arranged in three blocks. i.e. block A, B and C. Sampling
Conclusion
was generally started at 8:30 a.m. and completed in an hour. All
samples were drawn at the same time and placed in shade. Blue green algal biofertilizers are recommended to be used as
renewable nitrogen sources for different crop in agriculture.
The 3 blocks A, B and C were sampled at the same time. Soil They are non hazardous, cost effective; utilize renewable
was separately mixed with required amount of blue green algae. resources in addition to solar energy, water and atmospheric
Thereafter it was dried thoroughly grounded and mixed. For nitrogen.
thorough mixing required amount of blue green algae was
mixed with bigger amount of soils, and finally these soils were References
mixed with bigger lots of calculated soil required for
experiments. Soil mixing was done on separate clean sheet to 1. Cameron K.C. and Haynes R.J. (1986). Retention and
avoid any contamination. Mixed soil was filled in pot. movement of nitrogen in soils. 166-241In: Haynes R.J.
(ed.), Mineral Nitrogen in the plant soil system, Academic
Results and discussion Press, Orlando.
2. Kulik M.M. (1995). The potential for using cyanobacteria
Different growth parameters were studied. The height of the
and algae in the biological control of plant pathogenic
tops of the tomato plant was found to be 14cm under controlled
bacteria and fungi. European J. Plant Pathology, 101(6),
condition and was 26.58cm after applying 250g bga/kg soil.
585-599.
Total fresh weight of 60 days old tops of the plant under
controlled growth condition was found to be 4.0 g and 14.0g 3. Venkataraman G.S. (1979). Algal inoculation of rice fields.
after applying blue green algae as biofertilizer. Dry weight of 60 Nitrogen and Rice, : International Rice Research Institute.
days old tomato plants in controlled condition was 0.001g and Los Banos, Philippines, 311-321.
1.5g on applying 250g bga/kg soil. The number of leaves of 4. Ordog V. (1999). Beneficial effect of microalgae and
tomato plant were found to be 8 in controlled conditions and 26 cyanobacteria in plant/soil system with special regard to
on applying blue green algae. their auxin and cytokinin activity. International workshop

International Science Community Association 15

Research Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences _______________________________________________ ISSN 2320-6063
Vol. 5(5), 14-16, May (2017) Res. J. Agriculture and Forestry Sci.

and training course on microalgal biology and 6. Soad Humead Ali Al-Khiat and Ali H. (2006). Effect of
biotechnology, Mosonmagyarovar, Hungary, 13-26. cyanobacteria as a soil conditioner and biofertilizer on
5. Taha M.S. and El–Aggan W.H. (1981). Isolation, growth and some biochemical characteristics of Tomato
(Lycopersicon esculentum L.) seedling. Thesis, submitted
purification and culturing of physiologically two different
to King Saud University.
nitrogen fixing strains of blue green algae Nostoc commune
Vaucher from the soil of a rice field in Egypt. Bull. Fac.
Sci. Alex. Univ. 21(4), 1-13.

International Science Community Association 16