Document Type : Review
Author
Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran
Abstract
The global algae market was valued at USD 19.8 Billion in the year 2021 and it is expected to reach USD 36 Billion in 2028 by a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.5%. Eukaryotic green algae and Gram-negative prokaryotic cyanobacteria are widely used in pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, aquaculture, poultry and biofuel industries. Algae are also used in agriculture based on sustainable development by facilitating increased access to nutrients, maintaining organic carbon and soil fertility, increasing plant growth and crop yield, and stimulating soil microbial activity. Heterocyte-forming cyanobacteria, which have acclimated to diverse environmental conditions, represent a unique subset of photosynthetic prokaryotes capable of nitrogen fixation via the nitrogenase enzyme system. In addition, green algae and cyanobacteria by producing metabolites such as growth hormones, polysaccharides and antimicrobial compounds play an important role in their colonization in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of plants and the proliferation of microbial and eukaryotic communities in the soil. Currently, the development of the consortium of cyanobacteria with bacteria or fungi or microalgae and biofilms based on them has expanded the scope of using algae. This review focuses on the application of algae in the production of crops and the protection and management of natural resources, the challenges of using algae and their commercial aspects in agriculture.
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