Azolla: A Review of Its Biology and Utilization

Abstract

The Azolla-Anabaena symbiosis is outstanding due to its high productivity combined with its ability to fix nitrogen at high rates. Because of this, in recent decades, countless studies have been conducted on this association, but with insufficient synthesis and coordination. This paper, therefore, attempts to review and synthesize past and recent findings concerning the biology and utilization of Azolla in hopes that this will facilitate increased future collaborative research on this "green gold mine." It reviews the taxonomy, distribution, morphology, physiology, and reproduction of Azolla as well as new developments in its manifold uses. Because of the growing concern about conservation of the environment and the need for deploying renewable, sustainable resources; the application of Azolla as a biofertilizer on agricultural crops, in order to provide a natural source of the crucial nutrient nitrogen, can be very beneficial to the future of our planet. Besides the environmental appropriateness of the use of Azolla, for multitudes of farmers in many parts of the world who cannot afford chemical fertilizers, Azolla application can enhance their economic status, increasing yields while minimizing costs. Due to the fact that rice paddy fields form an ideal environment for Azolla, one of its most suitable applications is on rice. Besides its utilization as a biofertilizer on a variety of crops, Azolla can be used as an animal feed, a human food, a medicine, and a water purifier. It may also be used for the production of hydrogen fuel, the production of biogas, the control of weeds, the control of mosquitoes, and the reduction of ammonia volatilization which accompanies the application of chemical nitrogen fertilizer.