Agricultural importance of algae

Algae are a large and diverse group of microorganisms that can carry out photosynthesis since they capture energy from sunlight. Algae play an important role in agriculture where they are used as biofertilizer and soil stabilizers. Algae, particularly the seaweeds, are used as fertilizers, resulting in less nitrogen and  phosphorous runoff than the one from the use of livestock manure. This in turn, increases the quality of water flowing into rivers and oceans. These organisms are cultivated around the world and used as human food  supplements. They can produce a clean and carbon-neutral food also and can be grown on abandoned lands and arid desert lands with minimal demands for fresh water. Seaweeds are an important source of iodine. Iodine levels in milk depend on what the cow producing the milk has been fed with. Feeding milk cattle with seaweeds can increase the quantity of iodine in milk, according to Fuzhou Wonderful Biological Technology. Egg-laying rate in hen is also increased by algae feed additives. In this article, we discussed the most important aspects of algae and its agricultural uses to those who work in this area.Key words: Algae, seaweeds, agriculture, biofertilizer, soil stabilizers

Compost and digestate: sustainability, benefits, impacts for the environment and for plant production

This proceedings volume contains the papers presented at the CODIS 2008 congress held on 27 - 29 February 2008 in Solothurn (Switzerland).The composting and digestion of biogenic waste materials and the subsequent application of compost and digestate to soil contributes to nutrient recycling and renewable energy production. Moreover, compost and digestate can improve soil fertility and suppress plant diseases. On the other hand, compost and digestate may also contain a variety of pollutants hazardous to soil, such as heavy metals and organic contaminants.Compost and digestate have been thoroughly investigated in the framework of two associated projects entitled Organic Pollutants in Compost and Digestate in Switzerland and Effects of Composts and Digestate on the Environment, Soil Fertility and Plant Health. These projects yielded new insights into the properties of compost and digestate, mainly with regard to biological parameters and the occurrence of both classic and emerging organic pollutants.The CODIS 2008 congress was the final event of these two projects

Wastewater Refining and Reuse and City-Level Water Decision Making

Direct discharge of treated and untreated wastewater to natural surface water bodies, including rivers and lakes, is generally known to produce adverse environmental impacts that have been of concern for the past 10–15 years, particularly in the Great Lakes basin. Examples of these impacts include eutrophication and the emergence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Advancement in wastewater treatment plant operations alone may not be feasible to meet the 2016–2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS), especially on phosphorus reduction targets. Diverting treated wastewater to land could present a multibarrier approach for integrated PPCPs management, and could also shift current phosphorus management from contamination to resource recovery. Two case studies were considered: one from a developing country and the other from an industrialised country. City-level decision making in this paradigm was investigated in the context of developing countries, taking Ghana as a case study. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior officials of seven participating organizations from local governments, academia, and international non-governmental organizations in Ghana. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was deployed to prioritize challenges as they were perceived by these institutions. Results show that social factors were the main barrier to wastewater reuse (31%), followed by financial (29%), institutional (24%), and technical challenges (16%). Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis was also conducted. This was combined with a toxicological assessment of local waste stabilization ponds, whereby effluents were found to be suitable for reuse in agriculture as per the latest 2006 Food and Agriculture Organization guidelines. Several On-site Sanitation Systems (OSSs), commonly known as septic tanks in Canada and the United States, pose a threat to groundwater and surface water, and have the potential to negatively impact human health over the long term. A new Biochar-Modified Soil Aquifer Treatment (BMSAT) system was investigated for its ability to resist or reduce toxicity and microbiological contamination as per the 2012 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for water reuse in agriculture. The assessment included 18 chemical compounds, as well as E. coli. The BMSAT system showed promising results, and could be a possible alternative to existing OSSs in rural areas. Keywords: Water reuse, Wastewater treatment, Eutrophication, Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products, Lakes, Impact, Socio-economic, Institutional challenges, Analytical Hierarchy Process, Decision Making, Interviews, Biochar, Soil Aquifer Treatment, Agriculture

Enzymatic Processing of Pigeon Pea Seed Increased their Techno-Functional Properties

Neglected and underutilized crops (NUS) are those crops that are entirely ignored or little attention is paid to them by agriculture researchers, plant breeders and policy-makers. There has been renewed interest in NUS as many of these varieties and species, along with a wealth of traditional knowledge are being lost at an alarming rate. This chapter provides an overview of underutilized legumes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There is a recognized need to explore the diversity of indigenous micro symbionts associated with underutilized legumes. The biochemical mechanism in legumes remains elusive to date as evidence is mounting for allelopathic inhibition of nitrifying microorganisms by root exudation of phenolic compounds. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to explore the potential relationship between enzymatic processes of certain legumes and high tolerance to drought stresses, high biomass productivity, erosion control and dune stabilization and general soil health. Pigeon pea among other legumes have a huge untapped potential for improvement of both in quantity and quality of production in Africa

The dynamics of biodiversity structure of soil microorganisms under the impact of biopreparations during potato growing season

The use of biological preparations such as Phytotsid and Planryz contributes the increase of the general number of soil bacteria population by 13.0–36.1% in the case of potato variety Scarbnytsya and by 4.5–24.6% for potato variety Oberig compared with control. It also increases the number of saprophyte microflora, which compete with plant pathogens, micromycetes, and causes 1.2–1.8 times reduction in the number of soil fungi – Fusarium and Alternaria. During the application of Rovral Akvaflo the Shannon ecological index of species biodiversity is lower than during the biopreparation use. The decrease of species biodiversity was observed as well as strengthening the dominance of some species (dark pigmentation in fungi)

Annual Report 2018.

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