Initial evaluation of the use of cyanobacteria as biofertilizers in Zea mays L crops

Abstract

Cyanobacteria have the property of reducing atmospheric nitrogen through the process known as Biological Nitrogen Fixation. The objective of the work was to evaluate the potential use as biofertilizer of a consortium of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria adapted to the agricultural soils of the Province of Córdoba in the cultivation of Zea mays L. First, the isolation and obtaining of massive cultures of consortiums of edaphic cyanobacteria, from selected agricultural soils of the Province of Córdoba, which were made up of the following species: Scytonema bonheri, Nostoc commune, N. edaphicum. N. muscorum, N. calcícola and Desmonostoc muscorum. From these consortia, liquid emulsions were prepared to be applied to crops. The controlled trials in cultures of Zea mays L. were carried out considering three treatments: with chemical fertilization, with a consortium of cyanobacteria and with chemical fertilization and a consortium of cyanobacteria. The results obtained, when considering the development variables, show that there are no significant differences between the treatments with chemical fertilization and with the cyanobacterial consortium used. In relation to the soil fertility conditions at the end of the trial, the maximum values ​​of nitrate and phosphorus were obtained in the treatment with cyanobacteria consortia. The cyanobacterial community at the end of the trial conserved 3 of the 6 species that made up the initial consortium, all of the genus Nostoc. These results will make it possible to advance in the knowledge about the potential of cyanobacteria as agricultural soil improvers and their use as biofertilizers to achieve productive yields similar to those obtained by the aplication of chemical fertilizers.