Chapter 5
Cyanobacteria-Mediated Bioremediation
of Problem Soils
Kuttalingam Gopalasubramanian Sabarinathan, Muthukrishnan Gomathy,
D. Arun Kumar, R. Kannan, and K. Eraivan Arutkani Aiyanathan
Contents
5.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
5.2 Why Cyanobacteria? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
5.3 Agrochemicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
5.3.1 Pesticides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
5.3.2 Chemical Fertilizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
5.4 Heavy Metal Contamination in Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
5.5 Reclamation of Alkaline and Saline Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
5.6 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Abstract Cyanobacteria (BGA) are prokaryotic photoautotrophs capable of doing
photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation simultaneously. The nitrogen fixing blue green
algae are well documented for their efficiency of keeping the rice fields fertile.
Cyanobacteria is a versatile organism possess different mechanisms to adapt to a
broad range of environmental factors. Cyanobacteria are unique microorganisms
which occupy and predominate diversified habitats as a result of many general
characteristics; some cyanobacteria are like bacteria and others unique to higher
plants. Agricultural productivity is greatly enhanced through cyanobacterial
biofertilizer technology. The adverse effects of different uses of chemical fertilizers,
pesticides and agrochemicals lead to a reduction in soil productivity and environmental quality. As a substitute for chemical fertilizers, and to bioremediate the
problem soils caused by various agrochemicals, cyanobacteria are economically
viable and sustainable technology in modern agriculture. Cyanobacteria are also
recognized as an important agent in the stabilization of soil surfaces by different
K. G. Sabarinathan (*) · D. A. Kumar · R. Kannan · K. E. A. Aiyanathan
Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Agricultural College &
Research Institute, Killikulam, Vallanadu, Tamil Nadu, India
M. Gomathy
Department of Soil Science and Agrl. Chemistry, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
Agricultural College & Research Institute, Killikulam, Vallanadu, Tamil Nadu, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
D. G. Panpatte, Y. K. Jhala (eds.), Microbial Rejuvenation of Polluted Environment,
Microorganisms for Sustainability 25, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7447-4_5
141
Cyanobacteria-Mediated Bioremediation
of Problem Soils
Kuttalingam Gopalasubramanian Sabarinathan, Muthukrishnan Gomathy,
D. Arun Kumar, R. Kannan, and K. Eraivan Arutkani Aiyanathan
Contents
5.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
5.2 Why Cyanobacteria? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
5.3 Agrochemicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
5.3.1 Pesticides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
5.3.2 Chemical Fertilizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
5.4 Heavy Metal Contamination in Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
5.5 Reclamation of Alkaline and Saline Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
5.6 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Abstract Cyanobacteria (BGA) are prokaryotic photoautotrophs capable of doing
photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation simultaneously. The nitrogen fixing blue green
algae are well documented for their efficiency of keeping the rice fields fertile.
Cyanobacteria is a versatile organism possess different mechanisms to adapt to a
broad range of environmental factors. Cyanobacteria are unique microorganisms
which occupy and predominate diversified habitats as a result of many general
characteristics; some cyanobacteria are like bacteria and others unique to higher
plants. Agricultural productivity is greatly enhanced through cyanobacterial
biofertilizer technology. The adverse effects of different uses of chemical fertilizers,
pesticides and agrochemicals lead to a reduction in soil productivity and environmental quality. As a substitute for chemical fertilizers, and to bioremediate the
problem soils caused by various agrochemicals, cyanobacteria are economically
viable and sustainable technology in modern agriculture. Cyanobacteria are also
recognized as an important agent in the stabilization of soil surfaces by different
K. G. Sabarinathan (*) · D. A. Kumar · R. Kannan · K. E. A. Aiyanathan
Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Agricultural College &
Research Institute, Killikulam, Vallanadu, Tamil Nadu, India
M. Gomathy
Department of Soil Science and Agrl. Chemistry, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
Agricultural College & Research Institute, Killikulam, Vallanadu, Tamil Nadu, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
D. G. Panpatte, Y. K. Jhala (eds.), Microbial Rejuvenation of Polluted Environment,
Microorganisms for Sustainability 25, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7447-4_5
141