were noted with industrial value products. Nodularia sphaerocarpa PUPCCC 420.1
from cold desert of Himachal Pradesh, India has the ability to produce
Phycobiliprotein pigment which is used as food colourant (Kaushal et al. 2017).
Chroococcidiopsis sp. from hyper-arid zone of Atacama Desert could produce
Scytonemin pigment under stress conditions which is yellow-green ultraviolet
sunscreen pigment. Similarly, Calothrix and Scytonema from Wadi Al-Khoud in
Muscat was reported with scytonemin pigment production (Abed et al. 2018; Vítek
et al. 2017). Carotenoid production by Chroococcidiopsis sp. from the eastern edge
of the Qubqi desert, Negev desert, Israel was studied (Baqué et al. 2013).
Application of cyanobacteria has an immense role in paddy field. Paddy field
contributes fairish amount of greenhouse gases, resulting in global warming. The
important gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide and are mainly due to
microbial activity in rice fields. Cyanobacteria in flooded condition enhance the
oxygen concentration by photosynthetic activity, thereby create aerobic condition in
rice rhizosphere which may consequently cut down the methane emission by
methanogens. However, improves the activity of methanotrophs which could possibly utilize the methane source. Additionally, cyanobacteria fix atmospheric carbon
dioxide during the oxygenic photosynthesis process. Apart from methane reduction,
it reduces the nitrous oxide emission from the field. Inordinate use of nitrogen
fertilizer in flooded fields results in emission of nitrous oxide gas, contrastingly
deployment of cyanobacteria fixes nitrogen in the rice fields. Overall, cyanobacteria
crucially reduce the greenhouse gas emission from rice fields. Consortium of
cyanobacteria and methanotrophs can be an innovative strategy to for an
eco-friendly rice cultivation (Prasanna et al. 2002; Singh et al. 2016).
5.6 Conclusion
Soil and water are indispensable natural resources for our domesticated food production systems based on animals and plants. Desirable physiochemical properties
and biological activity decides the better agricultural ecosystem. Increase in population and climatic factor increases the usage of agrochemicals, but poor farmers
were unable to afford for this. However, agrochemicals have results in deterioration
of ecosystem. Cyanobacteria in this circumstance can be efficient for improving soil
organic carbon matter and also enhances nitrogen and phosphorus availability to
crop plants. Cyanobacterial mat or colonies in alkaline and saline soils accumulate
ions and create suitable environment for plant growth. However, cyanobacteria
under unfavourable condition improves nutrient availability and produce phytohormones. While in desert soil agriculture, it improves water activity and soil aggregation for a better cultivation. Cyanobacteria are excellent bioremediatory which
effectively accumulates and degrades agrochemicals, xenobiotics and heavy metals
in soils. Apart from soil treatments, bioremediation of industrial waste water by
cyanobacteria increases the irrigation source for agriculture and also supports during
drought season. Cyanobacteria are the rice source of bioactive compound production
5 Cyanobacteria-Mediated Bioremediation of Problem Soils
149
from cold desert of Himachal Pradesh, India has the ability to produce
Phycobiliprotein pigment which is used as food colourant (Kaushal et al. 2017).
Chroococcidiopsis sp. from hyper-arid zone of Atacama Desert could produce
Scytonemin pigment under stress conditions which is yellow-green ultraviolet
sunscreen pigment. Similarly, Calothrix and Scytonema from Wadi Al-Khoud in
Muscat was reported with scytonemin pigment production (Abed et al. 2018; Vítek
et al. 2017). Carotenoid production by Chroococcidiopsis sp. from the eastern edge
of the Qubqi desert, Negev desert, Israel was studied (Baqué et al. 2013).
Application of cyanobacteria has an immense role in paddy field. Paddy field
contributes fairish amount of greenhouse gases, resulting in global warming. The
important gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide and are mainly due to
microbial activity in rice fields. Cyanobacteria in flooded condition enhance the
oxygen concentration by photosynthetic activity, thereby create aerobic condition in
rice rhizosphere which may consequently cut down the methane emission by
methanogens. However, improves the activity of methanotrophs which could possibly utilize the methane source. Additionally, cyanobacteria fix atmospheric carbon
dioxide during the oxygenic photosynthesis process. Apart from methane reduction,
it reduces the nitrous oxide emission from the field. Inordinate use of nitrogen
fertilizer in flooded fields results in emission of nitrous oxide gas, contrastingly
deployment of cyanobacteria fixes nitrogen in the rice fields. Overall, cyanobacteria
crucially reduce the greenhouse gas emission from rice fields. Consortium of
cyanobacteria and methanotrophs can be an innovative strategy to for an
eco-friendly rice cultivation (Prasanna et al. 2002; Singh et al. 2016).
5.6 Conclusion
Soil and water are indispensable natural resources for our domesticated food production systems based on animals and plants. Desirable physiochemical properties
and biological activity decides the better agricultural ecosystem. Increase in population and climatic factor increases the usage of agrochemicals, but poor farmers
were unable to afford for this. However, agrochemicals have results in deterioration
of ecosystem. Cyanobacteria in this circumstance can be efficient for improving soil
organic carbon matter and also enhances nitrogen and phosphorus availability to
crop plants. Cyanobacterial mat or colonies in alkaline and saline soils accumulate
ions and create suitable environment for plant growth. However, cyanobacteria
under unfavourable condition improves nutrient availability and produce phytohormones. While in desert soil agriculture, it improves water activity and soil aggregation for a better cultivation. Cyanobacteria are excellent bioremediatory which
effectively accumulates and degrades agrochemicals, xenobiotics and heavy metals
in soils. Apart from soil treatments, bioremediation of industrial waste water by
cyanobacteria increases the irrigation source for agriculture and also supports during
drought season. Cyanobacteria are the rice source of bioactive compound production
5 Cyanobacteria-Mediated Bioremediation of Problem Soils
149