Azolla's cultivation and its uses in mountain ecosystem

Abstract

In the mountain ecosystem, the utilization of Azolla in agriculture improves socio-economic status of hills farmers by reducing the Table 2 Bioremediation of environmental pollutants by Azolla species Pollutants Chemical compounds/ metals Azolla species Trace metals Cu, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Hg, Azolla filiculoides, Azolla As, Au, Zn microphylla, Azolla pinnata, Azolla caroliniana Petroleum Diesel hydrocarbon, Azolla pinnata, Azolla africana BTEX, crude oil Antimicrobial Sulfadimethoxine Azolla filiculoides pharmaccuticals Dyes Acid red 88 (AR88) Azolla microphylla agricultural input cost, generating employment opportunities for smallscale industry involved in its propagation. Meanwhile, the fodder accessibility from various crops has also decreased mainly due to the introduction of high-yielding dwarf varieties and frequently in rabi farmers face very high scarcity of fodder due to very low temperature so cultivation of Azolla is very good alternate for farmers for fodder. It provides balanced diet to livestock which decreases feed cost and increases milk yield. This Azolla is very useful for rice cultivation using as green manure and biofertilizer for better crop production. Azolla utilization deciphers positive increase in the area of socio-economic development, agriculture productivity, bio-remediation of toxic pollutants, and climate change.