Vol.

1 Issue-8, APRIL 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)

AZOLLA –AN ASSET TO AGRICULTURE

ARTICLE ID: 006

Management of soil fertility has been the preoccupation of farmers for thousands of years.
The use of commercial fertilizers has increased steadily in the last 50 years, rising almost 20-
fold to the current rate of 100 million tonnes of nitrogen per year. Without commercial
fertilizers, it is estimated that about one-third of the food produced now could not be
produced. Fertilizers enhance the growth of plants. This goal is met in two ways, the
traditional one being additives that provide nutrients. The second mode by which some
fertilizers act is to enhance the effectiveness of the soil by modifying its water retention and
aeration.

Now-a-days suitable biotechnological approaches are into practice which can be therefore
used to improve the overall crop health and productivity. Biofertilizers also called as Bio-
inoculants, are those organic preparations which contain microorganisms that are beneficial
to agricultural production particularly with respect to Nitrogen and Phosphorous. When it is
applied as seed treatment or as soil application, they have the tendency to multiply rapidly
and develop a thick population in the rhizosphere. Biofertilizers can fix atmospheric N
through the process of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), solubilize plant nutrients like
phosphates and stimulate plant growth through the synthesis of growth-promoting substances.

CLASSIFICATION

Fertilizers are classified in several ways. They are classified according to whether they
provide a single nutrient (e.g., K, P, or N), in which case they are classified as "straight
fertilizers." "Multinutrient fertilizers" (or "complex fertilizers") provide two or more
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nutrients, for example, N and P. Fertilizers are also sometimes classified as inorganic (the
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topic of most of this article) versus organic. Inorganic fertilizers exclude carbon-containing
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Vol.1 Issue-8, APRIL 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)

materials except for ureas. Organic fertilizers are usually (recycled) plant- or animal-derived
matter. Inorganic are sometimes called synthetic fertilizers since various chemical treatments
are required for their manufacture. One of the major kind of fertilizers which are getting in
use these days are biofertilizers.

Azolla is also used as a biofertilizer in temperate as well as tropical rice- growing areas.
Azolla has been in use widely in countries like China and Vietnam for centuries but it is of a
recent introduction in India. Presently there are several Azolla species which are under
cultivation in India. The global collections of several species of Azolla are maintained at
CRRI (Cuttack). Within the leaf cavity filaments of Anabaena azollae are present. Studies
indicate that Azolla released nitrogen after its decomposition. It is further observed that about
67% of fixed nitrogen by Azolla is released for crop use within 35 days of inoculation.

MASS CULTIVATION OF AZOLLA

Microplots (20m2 ) are prepared in nurseries in which sufficient water (5-10 cm) is added. For
good growth of Azolla, 4-20 Kg P2 O 5 /ha is also amended. Optimum pH (8.0) and temperature
(14-30°C) should be maintained. Finally, microplots are inoculated with fresh Azolla (0.5 to
0.4 Kg/ m2 ). An insecticide (furadon) is used to check the attack of insects. After three, week
of growth mat formed by Azolla is harvested and the same microplot is inoculated with
fresh Azolla to repeat the cultivation.

Azolla mat is harvested and dried to use as green manure. There are two methods for its
application in the field: (a) incorporation of Azolla in soil prior to rice plantation,
and (b) transplantation of rice followed by water draining and incorporation of Azolla (Singh,
1977, 1979, 1980). However, reports from the IRRI (Philippines) reveal that growing
of Azolla in rice field before rice transplantation increased the yield equivalent to that
obtained from 30Kg N/ha as urea or ammonium phosphate.
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Vol.1 Issue-8, APRIL 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)

AZOLLA BENEFITS:

Ø Azolla as a Nitrogen fe rtilize r for increasing crop yields: The Nitrogen fertilizer fixed
by Azolla becomes available to the rice after the Azolla mat is incorporated into the soil and
its nitrogen begins to be released through decomposition. For Azolla, it takes 25 to 35 days to
provide enough nitrogen for a 4 to 6 ton/ha rice during the rainy season, or a 5 to 8 ton/ha
crop under irrigation during the dry season.

Ø Maintaining soil fe rtility: Incorporation and decomposition of Azolla will form a humus
compound. Humus increases the water holding capacity of soil and promotes aeration,
drainage, and aggregation essential for highly productive soils. Organic matter can bind
together soil particles and makes clayey soil more friable. Apart from its influence on soil
properties, Azolla is important in the cycling of nutrients while Azolla is growing in Paddy, it
fixes NError! Filename not specified. and absorbs nutrients out of the water. When the
Azolla is composed with the soil and humus is formed and these nutrients are slowly released
into the soil as decomposition progresses.
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Controlling the growth of Aquatic weeds: It is commonly believed that Azolla suppresses
the growth of certain aquatic weeds. Weed growth is suppressed once Azolla forms a thick,
light-proof mat. There are mainly two mechanisms, the most effective method is the light-
starvation of young weed seedlings by the blockage of sunlight. And the other is the physical
resistance to weed seedling is exposed to heavy, interlocking Azolla mat. In the case of weed-
infested rice fields, the benefit from Azolla weed suppressions may even surpass its benefit as
a nitrogen source. Rice seedlings are not affected by Azolla’s weed suppression effect
because when transplanted, they stand above the Azolla mat.

How Azolla Increases Yield of Paddy and its Benefits to Farme rs

For growing Paddy crop, less than 5% of the nitrogen delivered by Azolla immediately. The
remaining 95% nitrogen remains in the Azolla’s biomass will be utilized until the plants die.
Once the Azolla plant decomposes, its organic nitrogen will be mineralized and released as
ammonia, which is readily available as a biofertilizer for growing rice plants.

There are methods available to maximize the Azolla’s nitrogen fertilization, with the result
that Azolla now has enormous potential to increase rice production worldwide.

When you cultivate paddy with the chemical fertilizers, we spend approximately Rs. 1,500
per acre. And with Azolla, the cost of cultivation can come down to 25%. Azolla can increase
the paddy yield by 30-40%.

Farmers can create their own nursery for growing this fern. The field for growing Azolla
should be plowed, leveled, irrigated and we should form small ponds. And it needs 15-20 cm
of standing water in the fields. And the farmer may need green Azolla at the rate of 20 kg per
hectare and it should be mixed with fresh cow dung and then released into the pond.

CONCLUSION:

So with this we come to the conclusion that Biofertilizers do have an edge over other kinds of
fertilizers and using one such i.e. Azolla can prove beneficial for the farmers of our country
by enhancing growth and production.
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REFERENCES

1. Wagner, G.M. (1997). "Azolla: a review of its biology and utilization". Bot. Rev. 63: 1–26.

2. Evrard, C.; Van Hove, C. (2004). "Taxonomy of the American Azolla species
(Azollaceae): A critical review". Systematics and Geography of Plants. 74: 301–318.

3. D. Casanova, J. Goudriaan, M. M. C. Forner, and J. C. M. Withagen, “Rice yield

4. Kolhe S S, Mitra B N 1987. Effect of Azolla as an organic source of nitrogen in rice-wheat

5. Lumpkin T A, Plucknett D L 1982. Azolla As a Green Manure: Use and Management in

6. Raja N: Biopesticides and biofertilizers: ecofriendly sources for sustainable agriculture. J

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