Vol.

3 Issue-3, November 2022 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)

Azolla: A Promising Booster Towards Agricultural

Productivity
Sumana Balo 1 and Debasis Mahata 2
1
Ph.D, Research Scholar, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry,
Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar, West Bengal-736165,
India,
2
Subject Matter Specialist (Agronomy), Uttar Dinajpur Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Uttar
Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Chopra, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal-733207, India,

ARTICLE ID: 05
Introduction:
Mosquito or duckweed fern popularly known Azolla, is a free-floating branched
aquatic fern. It grows rapidly on the surface water in mostly fresh water and can be also
found on moist soils, marshy pond land and is widely distributed in tropical region of India.
During the green revolution in India, high yielding rice varieties increased agricultural output,
but small stature plants resulted in a lower straw-to-grain ratio. Therefore, less straws are
available for cattle feed which causes a serious threat to cattle growing farmers. In this
context, Azolla behaves as livestock feeding subtances and simantaneously as a biofertilizer
in wet land puddy cultivation. Azolla fixes atmospheric nitrogen with the symbiotic
association of host plant, blue green algae (Anabaena azolle) and posses a high nutrition
value. As it is requires less investment and can be used for low cost alternative technique for
higher production in rice crop, promotes farmers to cultivate Azolla for achieving sustainable
results in terms of livestock feed and biofertilizer source.
The aquatic fern known as azolla (Azolla sp. ), characterised by its short, branched,
floating stem and its roots that penetrates into the water, is a member of the Salvinaceae
family. The leaves of azolla plant are arranged in alternate mannaer and each has a green,
thick, aerial dorsal lobe (containing chlorophyll) and a slightly thin and larger floating ventral
lobe (which is colorless). Hence the azolla plant appears reddish brown in colour due to
presence of anthocyanin pigment. Small size species Azolla pinnata ranges from 1-2.5 cm
and Azolla nilotica grows upto 15 cm in plant size. As its floates on surface of water singly or
in mat type form, it looks like triangular or polygonal in shape. Azolla nilotica produce dark
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green to reddish carpet appearance where other species have red anthocyanin pigment.The
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Vol. 3 Issue-3, November 2022 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)

symbiotic relationship between the nitrogen-fixing blue-green alga (cyanobacterium)

Anabaena azollae and azolla plant is the most interesting aspect of azolla culvation.The fern
creates a protected cavity inside each leaf which stores atmospheric fixed nitrogen and maybe
other growth-promoting chemicals. (Lumpkin et al., 1982).
Chemical composition
Nutrional value On dry matter basis
Crude protein 24.61%
Crude fibre 15.0 %
Lignin 11.4 %
Ash 15.9 %
Starch 4.1 %
Phosphorous 6.1 mg/kg
Potassium 17.4 mg/kg
Sodium 9.0 mg/kg
calcium 11.0 mg/kg
Iron 3.90 mg/kg
Magnesium 5.0 mg/kg

Beneficial effect of Azolla

1. Livestock Feeding
Azolla has a high protein, amino acid, vitamin (A, B12, Beta Carotene), and mineral
content, making it a good nutritious feed for animals. It also has a low lignin content. It has
been discovered that feeding of Azolla to poultry birds enhances broiler chicken weight and
boosts egg production in layers chickens. Azolla may be fed to sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, and
fish. Some instances are milch animals had a 10-15 percent rise in milk production, meat by
weight 8-10 percent increase for goat, and egg laying capability of poutry was increase 10-15
percent. Azolla pinnata is being suggested as a viable unconventional protein supplement for
cattle during the lean phase of the year in rain fed locations based on the current research and
observations. As climate change threatens livestock production due to its effect on the
quantity and quality of feed crops, fodder, and forage, this technology has promise climate
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change adaptive capability and is beneficial in climate change adaptation of farmers in these
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regions (Kumar and Chander, 2017).

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Vol. 3 Issue-3, November 2022 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)

2. Bioremidiation
A. pinnata and Lamna minor were discovered to remove the heavy metals iron and copper
from contaminated water (Jain et al., 1989). Azolla shows a great potentiality to directly
concentrate metals such as copper, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, and nutrients from pollution or sewage
water.
3. Biofertilizer
It decomposes rapidly in soil, allowing for maximum nutritional availability to rice
plants. Hence it can be used as a good source of biofertilizer as well as green manure. It
helps to increase the rice yield by 20-30%.

4. Weed control
With its thick covering, Azolla acts as an organic mulching in rice fields, preventing
the growth of weeds. It also helps keep soil wet for longer by reducing the rate of
evaporation. It was shown that an Azolla cover significantly decreased the amount of weeds,
particularly the dominant weed Monochoria vaginalis.
5. Mosquito control
Azolla inhibits breeding of mosquito, known as mosquito fern. A dense mat of Azolla
floating on the water's surface may prevent mosquito hatching and adult development.
6. Azolla in Production of Biogas
Methane gas is produced during anaerobic fermentation of Azolla (or a mixture of
Azolla and rice straw), which can be used as fuel, and the remaining effluent can be used as a
fertiliser because it contains all the nutrients originally incorporated in plant tissues, with the
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exception of a small percentage of nitrogen lost as ammonia. Gas production was increased
by a factor of 1.4 when cow dung and Azolla residues were mixed in a ration of 1:0.4.
7. Azolla and Bioenergy
When Azolla Anabaena is grown in a nitrogen-free atmosphere and a water medium
containing nitrate in the symbionts, the organism produces hydrogen from water instead of
fixing nitrogen [Peters 1975]. This results in a clean, high-energy fuel that does not contribute
to air pollution. Immobilizing fern-isolated Anabaena-Azollae cells or placing them in a
microaerobic environment, partial vacuum, argon-enriched atmosphere, or carbon dioxide-
enriched atmosphere have all been shown to improve the rate at which these organisms
produce hydrogen.
8. Medicinal use of Azolla
Azolla is used to prepare cough medication in Tanzania (Raja et al., 2012)
9. Azolla as a human food
In India and other parts of the East, azolla is commonly used as a cattle feed, but its
potential as a human diet is less well recognised. Research on possible space station, space
flight, and Moon/Mars habitation diets has helped to spur this shift. Protein-wise, azolla is
quite similar to soybeans. Minerals account for 10–15% of the dry weight, and essential
amino acids for 7–10%. Vitamins and carotenoids make up the remaining 2-5%. 20-30% of
Azolla's dry weight contains protein; this is rather high for a vegetable. When it comes to
proteins, Azolla contributes a higher portion.
10. Azolla as a Component of Space Diet
Azolla was recently recommended as part of the space diet during living on Mars after
studies by Katayama et al., 2008 in partnership with the Space Agriculture Task Force
discovered that it met human nutritional needs.
Cultivation of azolla:
Growing of Azolla is done basically by two types:
 In-situ Azolla (cultivated with standing crop on the field
 Ex-situ Azolla (grown in outside and incorporate in main field )
Thirdly, Azolla can be cultured in polythene bags using a different technique.
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Azolla Cultivation Procedure

1. Selection of pond location − A area near to the house can be prefer for continuous
monitoring of the pond. Site under partial shade can be considered more to reduce the
evaporation loss and effective photosynthesis of azolla. Regular water supply should be
maintained. Floor of pond should be free from stones or any root debris to avoid water
leakage and puncture of sheet.
2. Pond size and construction – The number of species being grown, the amount of
supplemental feed and the availability of resources are all factors that influence ideal pond
size. – Azolla may be cultivated on 6 X 4 feet of ground and provide around one kilogramme
of Supplementary feed each day. A suitable area must be cleaned and levelled. The lateral
walls of the pond may be formed with bricks or an embankment made with excavated earth
from the pond. After spreading the long-lasting plastic sheet (silpauline, a polythene
tarpaulin) in the pond, bricks must be laid over the side walls to firmly secure the edges of
pond. – After inoculating the culture, a net should be put over the pond to provide shade and
prevent leaves and other debris from falling in. The shade net must be hung over the walls of
the pond and supported by thin wooden poles or bamboo sticks. The plastic sheet and net
over the pond area may be held in place by placing bricks or stones as weights around the
boundaries.
3. Production of Azolla -The pond has to be filled with a uniformed layer of fertile sieved
soil combined with cow dung and water. A pond of 6 feet by 4 feet will need around 1
kilogramme of fresh Azolla culture, which should be spread out evenly throughout the water
body. In addition to dung, biogas slurry may be utilised, and the depth of the water should be
four to six inches. During the monsoon season, collecting rainwater from rooftops to use for
growing Azolla will assure good and rapid development. However, Growth will suffer if the
overall salt content of the water utilised for agriculture is too high.
4. Maintenance of the pond Azolla will grow better if one kilogramme of cow dung and 100
grammes of super phosphate are applied once every two weeks. Remove any trash or aquatic
weeds found in the pond on a regular basis. Every six months of interval, the pond must be
evacuated and the culture must be replaced with fresh Azolla culture
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5. Azolla harvesting and feeding of livestock: Azolla development in the pond will take two
to three weeks, depending on the initial amount of culture supplied, nutrition and
environmental conditions. After full development, it may be collected everyday. Biomass
may be harvested from the surface of the pond using plastic sieves.

A 6 X 4 foot area may generate around 850 to 900 grammes of fresh Azolla (yield per
day in a season). • Azolla may be given to cattle both fresh and dried form. It may be
provided either directly or in combination with concentrates.To eliminate the odour of
cowdung, azolla must be properly rinsed with fresh water.
6. Yield: About 8-10 metric tonnes of azolla's green mass are converted into 25-30
kilogrammes of nitrogen gas, which in turn yields 55-66 kilogrammes of urea.
7. Economics of Cultivation: The expenditure of preparing a 6 × 4 feet pond is less than
Rs.500 (including sheet and labour cost). An additional fish production and decreased use of
feeding concentrates for cultured fish species might result in a net profit of over Rs. 4500 per
year for a farmer.
Requirements for azolla growth
1. Water: Fresh, moving water at a height of 10-15 cm is required in the reproduction pond
maintaining a water level of 4 inches is critical factor for growth and optimized production
of azolla.
2. Temperature: Duranal temp between 32°C- 20°C considered to be optimal for for azolla
growth and multiplication. This plant normally prefers to thrive in partial shade.
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3. Relative Humidity: 85 to 90 percent relative humidity is the optimal range.

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Vol. 3 Issue-3, November 2022 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)

4. Soil pH: Azolla thrives in slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5.2 to 5.8.
5. Nutrition: As an N-fixing fern, Azolla does not require nitrogen-containing fertiliser for
growth. Phosphorous concentrations of 20 kg/ha are desirable for bio-mass production.
Important tips for growing azolla
1. Azolla multiplies quickly; keep the biomass at between 300 and 350 grammes per
square meter by picking it daily to prevent overpopulation.
2. To increase the Azolla's mineral content, apply a combination of Super Phosphate and
cow dung once every five days, as well as weekly applications of a mixture
comprising magnesium, iron, copper, sulphur, etc.
3. Every 10 days, replace 25-30% of the pond's water with new water to avoid nitrogen
accumulation.
4. Every six months, completely change out the water and dirt, and then plant some new
Azolla seeds.
5. For easy harvesting, maintain the water level at least 10 centimetres above the Azolla
roots.
6. Once the Azolla has been harvested, it is washed carefully to eliminate any remaining
dirt or odour of cow dung before being fed to the animals.
Conclusion
As we are approaching to meet the increasing demand of food consumption without
compromising the soil health and environmental integrity, azolla can be a effective solution
in this regard by adopting it as a source of biofertilizer in rice based intensive cropping
system in indian scenario. With suppression of weed, azolla helps to enhance the nutrient
availibilty by maintaining suitable pH and fixing C and N in soil. It can also be used as
unconventional feed for livestock due to rich in protein( high amount of amino acid- lysine
methionine , arginine and carotene) minerals, vitamins. The cost of rearing animal is reduced
as it can be used to replace concentrate and other conventional feed. In young animals azolla
inclusion in diet promotes feed intake, body weight gain and improves the overall heath as
azolla contains growth promoters. It increases fat content of milk and yield in lactating
animal, feed conversion efficiency in broiler, enriched protein content in layers. Therefore we
can conclude that the azolla can be grown commercially if labours scarsity is not a problem
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to increase the yield of rice crop and enhance a balanced nutritional diet for livestock in agri
based industry sector.
Reference
Adhikari, K., Bhandari, S., & Acharya, S. (2020). An overview of azolla in rice production: a
review. Reviews in Food and Agriculture. 2(1): 04-08.
Raja, W., Rathaur, P., John, S. A., & Ramteke, P. W. (2012). Azolla: An aquatic pteridophyte
with great potential. Int. J. Res. Biol. Sci. 2(2):68-72.
Roy, D. C., Pakhira, M. C., & Roy, M. (2016). Estimation of amino acids, minerals and other
chemical compositions of Azolla. Advances in Life Sciences. 5(7):2692-2696.

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