Azolla cultivation by the farmers of different Water Users Associations of Sundarban, under WBADMI Project.

Azolla is an aquatic free-floating water fern consisting of a short branched, floating stem, bearing roots that hang down the water. The fern appears as a green mat over water. The Blue-Green Algae, Cyanobacteria (Anabaena azollae) present as a symbiont with this fern in the lower cavities which fixes atmospheric nitrogen.   The Sundarban in the Gangetic delta is known for its soil salinity, which is aggravated by prolonged water-logging during monsoons. The acidic sulfate soil of the region creates problems of nutrient management and overall soil management too. Lack of fresh water for irrigation is also becoming a problem in the rabi season. Under the ADMI project, the farmers of different Water Users Associations (WUA) of South 24 Parganas were capacitated to use bio-fertilizer instead of harmful chemical fertilizer. Gradually, they have adopted organic farming for a good agriculture practice. The farmers are also promoting this to the other farmers to adopt the use of biofertilizers.   Advantages of Azolla: 

1. It easily grows in wild and can grow under controlled conditions also.
2. It can easily be produced in the large quantity required as green manure in both the seasons – Kharif and Rabi. 
3. It can fix atmospheric CO2 and nitrogen to form carbohydrates and ammonia respectively and after decomposition, it adds available nitrogen for crop uptake and organic carbon content to the soil.
4. The oxygen released due to oxygenic photosynthesis, helps the respiration of the root system of the crops as well as other soil microorganisms.
5. It solubilizes Zinc, Iron, and Manganese and makes them available to the rice.
6. Azolla suppresses tender weeds such as Chara and Nitella in a paddy field.
7. Azolla releases plant growth regulators and vitamins which enhance the growth of the rice plant.
8. Azolla can be a substitute for chemical nitrogenous fertilizers to a certain extent (25 kg/ha) and it increases the crop yield and quality.

#OrganicFarming #Biofertilizers #Sundarban