Effect of Furadan on the Growth and Nitrogen Fixation by Blue Green Algae

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the effects of pesticide on the growth and nitrogen fixation by blue green algae (BGA) that isolated from three different soils of Bangladesh viz., saline soil, calcareous soil and red soil. Furadan 5G, one of the most commonly used pesticides was selected for the study of eighteen taxa of blue green algae (BGA) which brought under the unialgal culture in the selected soil types. Variations observed in growth and nitrogen fixation among the isolates of a particular type of soil. The culture resulted as BGA grow slow under heterotrophically grown cultures than that of autotrophically grown cultures. On the other hand, nitrogen fixation in heterotrophically grown cultures was observed at higher rate. However satisfactory result was observed in both cases when field dose of Furadan was applied practically. In this case, heterotrophically grown cultures were more tolerant to pesticides with respect to growth and nitrogen fixation.

Key words: Blue green algae, Furadan, nitrogen fixation, heterotrophic growth, autotrophic growth.  

doi: 10.3329/jbs.v15i0.2199

J. bio-sci. 15: 23-34, 2007