Chapter 10. The Role of Azolla in Organic Farming

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Akshay Sarkar, Balaram Sarkar, Barsha Sarkar and Jatindra N. Bhakta
Laboratory of Environmental & Bioresource Technology, Department of Ecological Studies & International Centre for Ecological Engineering, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, WB, India

Part of the book: Research Advancements in Organic Farming

Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.52305/FUHR5851

Abstract

The use of chemical (agro and aqua-chemicals) substances in farming practices injects various hazardous substances into the environment, which are responsible for posing severe toxic problems to environmental and human health. The application of biological /organic substances in agro-farming practices instead of chemical substances is an important and feasible solution to the above-mentioned toxic problems of the environment. Azolla (Azolla sp.) is an aquatic floating fern, that can be applied in agriculture, animal husbandry, aquaculture and integrated farming for supplying nutrients and other purposes. Thus, chemical substances can be replaced by the Azolla in order to overcome the problem caused by inorganic farming practices. Few researchers highlighted and reported on this context, however, a comprehensive information concerning the application of Azolla in various organic farming practices is too scanty. Therefore, the present review has been focused to draw a brief account of the various application aspects of Azolla in organic farming practices.

Keywords: Azolla, cow dropping, growth optimization


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