Science Research Reporter 3(1):78-82, April 2013 ISSN: 2249-2321 (Print)

Agronomic potential of the association Azolla –Anabaena

Bhuvaneshwari K and Ajay Kumar

Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi India

[email protected]

ABSTRACT
An incubation experiment was carried out in order to investigate the effect of Azolla on
the physical and chemical properties of the soil in which the soil were treated with
o
Azolla at 0,10,30,60 and 90g/kg. The treated soils were incubated in the dark at 25 C for
60 days in the laboratory. The application of Azolla increased the soil pH, organic matter, N,
P, K, Ca, Mg and Na with rate of Azolla. There was reduction in soil bulk density but increased
soil porosity.

Key words: Incubation, Azolla, Mineralization, Soil Physical and Chemical Analysis.

INTRODUCTION which on application to the soil mobilize the

Due to the shortage and high price of availability of nutrients by their biological activity in
inorganic nitrogen fertilizers as well as fear of particular and helps to build up the micro-flora and
pollution due to their excess use, initiated the in turn, the soil health in general. It is also
research on alternative technology where affordable and does not cause eutrophication and
utilization of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers could be perturbation of soil (Scheir, 1999). The beneficial
minimized (Singh et al., 1981). Nitrogen fixing effect of the Azolla showed that it increases soil
crops, composted crop waste and livestock organic matter, improved soil and supply fixed
manures are least-cost alternative sources of nitrogen. After its decomposition, humus is formed
nitrogen which have been adopted by the farmers which increases the water holding capacity of the
on a wide range of situations. Another option, soil and promotes aeration and drainage. Azolla
specially for those growing rice in flooded supply fixed nitrogen and increases the uptake of
condition or irrigated land is the use of Azolla. some nutrient element such as Calcium,
Azolla pinnata is commonly found in India in ponds, Magnesium and potassium (Sinha et al., 2002;
ditches and canals containing stagnant water Sharland, 1997). The objective of this study is to
(Kulasooriya, 1998). Azolla is a free floating aquatic investigate the effect of Azolla pinnate on the
water fern which grows at a fast rate doubling its physico-chemical properties of the soil.
biomass in 3-5 days and fixes atmospheric nitrogen
by forming a symbiotic association with the blue- MATERIALS AND METHODS
green algae Anabaena azollae. This unique Sampling of Soil
property of the plant has drawn the attention of The soil was sampled to a depth of 0-15 cm from
agriculturists and botanists for its utilization in an uncultivated field of Agricultural farm of
agriculture as organic nitrogen fertilizers for the Banaras Hindu University Varanasi, India. All the
rice cop. Azolla have long been used as both a samples were brought to the laboratory, where
green manure for rice and as a fodder for poultry sieving was done with 2 mm sieve.
and livestock in China and Vietnam (Kamalasamana
et al., 2005; Singh, 1971). Chemical Analysis of the Soil
Organic matter in the form of green Part of the seived soil was air – dried and some
manure and biofertilizers has been found useful chemical properties were determined. The pH of
instead of the inorganic fertilizers (Nayak et al., the soil was determined using pH meter with glass
2004; Bhuvaneshwari et al., 2012). Biofertilizers are – column combination electrode in distilled water
live formulates of such beneficial microorganisms and 0.01M CaCl2 solution.
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 Bhuvaneshwari and Kumar
The organic carbon content was determined using release of nutrients into the soil treated by
Walkley and Black Method (1934). The total Azolla amendments (Table 3-6) compared with
nitrogen was determined by the Kjeldahl method the control showed that, the different rates
(AOAC, 1965). Exchangeable K, Ca and Mg were used increased the amounts of nutrients over
extracted using ammonium acetate, K was time. The rate of release increased with pericals
determined on Flame photometer (Jackson, 1990) of experiment that is at 10 and 20 days, the
and Ca and Mg by EDTA titration (Thomas, 1983 rate of release is lower than what is obtained
and Rich, 1952). Soil organic matter was at 50 days for all the nutrients examined. Table
determined by wet dichromate method (Carter, 7 shows the data on the effect of Azolla soil
1993). physical properties . Azolla application tended to
reduce the bulk density from 1.35 g/cm3 in the
Azolla collection, preparation and cultivation control to 1.26cm3 on 90kg-1 of the soil and
Azolla pinnata was collected from the ditches near increased its porosity. This might be due to
the agriculture farm of Banaras Hindu University, increased organic matter released into the soil. The
Varanasi, India. It was gently washed with tap greater the organic matter content of a soil, the
water and dried with tissue paper and cultured greater the increased porosity, the small the soil
using the IRRI medium. Fresh Azolla pinnata was compaction, the greater the water content (Defoer
weighed and cultured to obtain enough Azolla et al., 2000).
biomass for the experiment.

Incubation Table 1: Chemical Analysis of Azolla pinnata

There were four Azolla treatments for
mineralization study. Fresh Azolla were weighed Total chl mg/gm/FW 0.65
using an electric meter in 0, 10, 30, 60, 90 g/Kg Protein mg/gm FW 11.5
each in three replicate were mixed with the 5 Kg
soil with a hand towel. There were three pots per
treatment and the control experiment inclusive. Organic Carbon % 44.03
Amended soils were then packed in labeled clay Nitrogen % 4.92
pots, watered with sufficient distilled water. The Phosphorus % 0.26
pots were kept in dark at about 25 °C to incubate C : N ratio % 8.92
for 60 days. Incubated soil samples were collected
below the upper oxidized layer (2-5 cm) with a
sharp spatula at regular interval of 10, 20, 30, 40, Table 2: Analysis of the soil
50 and 60 days of flooding for routine analysis.
pH in water (1:2) 7.62
Statistical Analysis pH in 0.01M CaCl2 6.28
Data was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) solution
to determine the treatment effect. The least Organic carbon g/Kg 8.7
significance at 5% level of significance was used to Total Nitrogen g/Kg 5.0
compare mean (Steel and Torie 1985). Available 0.57
phosphorus mg/Kg
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION K (cmol/kg)-1 0.52
Table 1 shows the chemical analysis of Azolla Ca (%) 0.18
pinnata used in this investigation (% on dry Mg (%) 0.32
matter base). The table 2 has data on initial soil Na (cmol/Kg)-1 0.58
analysis used for this experiment. The soil was Sand 58 %
sandy- loam and it was low in organic matter Silt 28 %
(OM), available P, marginal in exchangeable K Clay 14 %
and total N, adequate in exchangeable Ca and Mg
and it is slightly acidic (Dawar et al, 2001). Rate of

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Science Research Reporter 3(1):78-82, April 2013 ISSN: 2249-2321 (Print)

Table 3: Effect of Azolla on soil organic matter (in %)

Treatment Incubation time (days)

Azolla g/Kg soil 10 20 30 40 50

0 2.29 2.39 2.39 2.39 2.30

10 3.01 3.17 3.49 3.43 3.91
30 3.21 3.36 3.61 3.53 3.41
60 3.18 3.41 3.71 3.71 3.61
90 3.32 3.52 3.81 3.87 3.81

Table 4: Effect of Azolla on soil Nitrogen (%)

Treatment Incubation Time (days)

Azolla g/Kg soil 10 20 30 40 50

0 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.16

10 0.18 0.18 0.31 0.34 0.34
30 0.28 0.24 0.37 0.38 0.38
60 0.37 0.40 0.43 0.51 0.54
90 0.39 0.47 0.50 0.54 0.53

Table 5: Effect of Azolla on soil available Phosphorus (ppm)

Treatment Incubation time (days)

Azolla g/Kg soil 10 20 30 40 50

0 2.52 2.52 2.52 2.52 2.52

10 2.60 2.73 3.61 4.21 4.23
30 2.87 2.91 3.69 5.29 5.31
60 4.27 4.59 5.29 5.47 5.51
90 4.81 4.92 6.25 5.72 5.73

Table.6 Effect of Azolla on soil physical properties (Mechanical analysis)

Treatment Bulk density %Porosity %Soil day % salt

Azolla(g/kg) (gcm-1)
0 1.35 42 61 21 13
10 1.31 41 61 21 15
30 1.30 41 58 23 17
60 1.28 43 57 23 19
90 1.26 45 56 22 22

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 Bhuvaneshwari and Kumar

Table.7 Effect of Azolla on soil chemical properties

Treatment pH OM N P K Ca Mg Na
Level (gkg-1) (gkg-1) (%) (ppm) (c mol kg-1) % % (mol kg-1)
0 6.31 2.42 2.41 0.15 0.49 0.18 0.33 0.58
10 6.31 3.29 3.41 0.24 0.55 0.90 0.46 0.65
30 6.59 3.56 3.57 0.32 0.58 0.99 0.56 0.68
60 6.69 3.69 3.62 0.43 0.64 1.11 0.74 0.69
90 6.21 3.71 3.65 0.47 0.64 1.37 0.93 0.70
LSD(0.005) 0.44 0.22 0.22 0.09 0.01 0.76 0.04 0.00

Soil organic matter (SOM) contents are usually phosphorous in the soil were due to high
positively related with specific soil properties or phosphorous content of Azolla (Michelle and
process forstering crop growth, such as cation- Jude, 1990). It may also be as a result the
exchange capacity, rainfall in fliteration or soil increase in soil pH values. The significantly high
structure (Vaulaurve et al 2004). Generally , the mean values of Ca and K may be due to high mean
less organic matter a soil contains, the weaker values of nitrogen which has enhanced their
its structure and the greater the risk of uptake.
serious erosion (Defoer et al 2000). Table 8 has Application of Azolla has been found to
data on chemical properties of soil as effected improve the physical and chemical properties of
by Azolla for 60 days. Soil incubation leads to the soil. These improvements were significant
increase in soil pH, organic matter (OM), N , P , K, for Nitrogen, Organic matter and other cations
Ca, Mg and Na. There was significant differences (Mg, Ca and Na ) released into the soil. Careful
(p>0.05) among untreated control and other management of soils in the tropics with Azolla
treatments (0 , 10, 30, 60 and 90 gkg-1 of Azolla). results in better production of crops since its
Difference between 0g kg-1 were not production is cheap, economical and eco-friendly.
significant for most chemical properties in the Azolla production and utilization is labour intensive
soils except with organic matter. There was a and it can be done in farmers farm.
significantly higher mean value of nitrogen with
soil treated with 90 g kg-1. The significantly high ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
mean value of nitrogen as a result of high N The authors are grateful to the Department of
content in Azolla is reported by Singh, 1981 and Science and Technology (DST) (WOS)-A, New Delhi,
Bhuvaneshwari 2011. The higher mean value of India for providing financial assistance and to the
pH in 60g/kg had shown that Azolla is able to Head of Department Botany, B.H.U., Varanasi for
control acidity by raising pH value which in the providing the facilities required for carrying out
line with the findings of Kotpal and Bali (2003). the present investigation.
The higher significant mean values of small

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How to Cite this Article:

Bhuvaneshwari K and Ajay Kumar. Agronomic potential of the association Azolla –Anabaena. Sci. Res.
Rept., 3(1):78-82.

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