Abstract
On-farm cultivation of phototrophic, N-fixing cyanobacteria, grown in raceway ponds, could provide organic farmers an alternative N source to meet crop fertilizer needs. The application of cyanobacterial fertilizer in certified organic agriculture requires a growth medium of certified organic ingredients. This study compared growth and N-fixation of cyanobacteria cultured in two media, Allen and Arnon (AA) and a growth medium of organic-approved ingredients (RB) developed by the authors. A xenic culture of Anabaena sp. was grown for 2 weeks in the laboratory. The RB medium had significantly lower concentrations of P, Fe, B, Zn, and Cu than the AA medium. Cyanobacteria grown in RB had significantly greater exponential growth rate but significantly lower net total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) than those grown in AA. In a follow-up replicated field study, the xenic culture of Anabaena sp. was inoculated into raceways aerated by paddle wheels. There was no significant difference in exponential or linear growth rate between the two treatments though the RB medium had lower concentrations of P, Co, Zn, and B than the AA medium. The lack of difference could be the result of an overarching limiting factor evident in both treatments such as light or C depletion or that the lower nutrient concentrations in RB were still sufficient for growth and N-fixation. There was no difference in net TKN between the two treatments, suggesting similar rates of N-fixation. Since bone meal contributed trace amounts of N to the RB media, it is possible that maximal N-fixation was not achieved. However, RB medium was able to support growth similar to that of the AA medium in raceway cultivation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abd-Alla MH, Mahmoud A, Issa AA (1994) Cyanobacterial biofertilizer improved growth of wheat. Phyton 34:11–18
Allen MB, Arnon DI (n.d.) Recipe. http://microbiology.ucdavis.edu/meeks/allenarnon.htm
Allen MB, Arnon DI (1955) Studies on nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae. I. Growth and nitrogen fixation by Anabaena cylindrica Lemm. Plant Physiol 30:366–372
Castenholz RW (1988) Culturing methods for cyanobacteria. Methods Enzymol 67:68–93
Charpy L, Palinska KA, Casareto BMJ, Langlade Y, Suzuki RM, Abed M, Golubic S (2010) Dinitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in microbial mats of two shallow coral reef ecosystems. Microb Ecol 59:174–186
Giordano M, Beardall J, Raven JA (2005) CO2 concentrating mechanisms in algae: mechanisms, environmental modulation, and evolution. Annu Rev Plant Biol 56:99–131
Hartz TK, Johnstone PR (2006) Nitrogen availability from high-nitrogen-containing organic fertilizers. HortTechnology 16:39–42
Henskens FL, Green TGA, Wilkins AA (2012) Cyanolichens can have both cyanobacteria and green algae in a common layer as major contributors to photosynthesis. Ann Bot 110:555–563
Herrero A, Muro-Pastor AM, Flores E (2001) Nitrogen control in cyanobacteria. J Bacteriol 183:411–425
Hitch C, Millbank JW (1975) Nitrogen metabolism in lichens. VI. The blue-green phycobiont content, heterocyst frequency and nitrogenase activity in Peltigera species. New Phytol 74:473–476
Hori K, Okamoto J, Tanji Y, Unno H (2003) Formation, sedimentation and germination properties of Anabaena akinetes. Biochem Eng J 14:67–73
Kaplan D, Richmond AE, Dubinsky Z, Aaronson S (1986) Algal nutrition. In: Richmond A (ed) CRC handbook of microalgal mass culture. CRC, Florida, pp 147–198
Kosakowska AA, Nedzi MM, Pempkowiak JJ (2007) Responses of the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to iron and humic substances. Plant Physiol Biochem 45:356–370
Kromkamp JC, Beardall J, Sukenik A, Kopecky J, Masojidek J, Berfgeik S, Gabai S, Shaham E, Yamsho A (2009) Short-term variations in photosynthetic parameters of Nannochloropsis cultures grown in two types of outdoor mass cultivation systems. Aquat Microb Ecol 56:309–322
Lange W (1974) Chelating agents and blue-green algae. Can J Microbiol 20:1311–1321
Layzell DB, Turpin DH, Elrifi IR (1985) Effect of N source on the steady state growth and N assimilation of P-limited Anabaena flos-aquae. Plant Physiol 78:739–745
Liengen T (1999) Environmental factors influencing the nitrogen fixation activity of free-living terrestrial cyanobacteria from a high arctic area, Spitsbergen. Can J Microbiol 45:573–581
Malliga P, Subramanian G (2002) Cyanobacterial biofertilizer for sustainable agriculture. In: Reddy SM, Reddy SR, Girisham S (eds) Bioinoculants for sustainable agriculture and forestry. Scientific Publishers, India, pp 99–106
Maqubela MP, Mnkeni PNS, Muchaonyerwa P, D’Acqui LP, Pardo MT (2010) Effects of cyanobacteria strains selected for their bioconditioning and biofertilization potential on maize dry matter and soil nitrogen status in a South African soil. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 56:552–559
Montana State University (n.d.) Quantitative assay for chlorophylls a and b. https://www.msu.edu/course/plb/106/chlorophyll.htm
Morin N, Vallaeys T, Hendrickx L, Natalie L, Wilmotte A (2010) An efficient DNA isolation protocol for filamentous cyanobacteria of the genus Arthrospira. J Microbiol Meth 80:148–154
Nelson NO, Janke RR (2007) Phosphorus sources and management in organic production systems. HortTechnology 17:442–454
Nelson N, Mikkelsen R (2008) Meeting the phosphorus requirement on organic farms. Better Crops 92:12–14
Nubel U, Garcia-Pichel F, Muyzer G (1997) PCR primers to amplify 16S rRNA genes from cyanobacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 63:3327–3332
Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) (2014). https://www.omri.org/
Richmond A (1986) Outdoor mass cultures of microalgae. In: Richmond A (ed) CRC handbook of microalgal mass culture. CRC, Florida, pp 285–329
Richmond A (1999) Physiological principles and modes of cultivation in mass production of photoautotrophic microalgae. In: Cohen Z (ed) Chemicals from microalgae. Taylor and Francis Ltd., Pennsylvania, pp 353–383
Sanz AP, Morenovivian C, Maldonado JM, Gonzalezfontes A (1995) Effect of a constant supply of different nitrogen sources on protein and carbohydrate content and enzyme activities of Anabaena variabilis cells. Physiol Plant 95:39–44
Sinetova MA, Cervene J, Zav Za T, Nedbal L (2012) On the dynamics and constraints of batch culture growth of the cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142. J Biotechnol 162:148–155
Smith RJ, Hobson S, Ellis IR (1987) Evidence for calcium-mediated regulation of heterocyst frequency and nitrogenase activity in Nostoc 6720. New Phytol 105:531–541
Sukor A (2013) Effects of cyanobacterial fertilizers compared to commonly-used organic fertilizers on nitrogen availability, lettuce growth, and nitrogen use efficiency on different soil textures. Master’s Thesis. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Vonshak A, Abeliovich A, Boussiba S, Arad S, Richmond A (1982) Production of Spirulina biomass: effects of environmental factors and population density. Biomass 2:175–185
Washington State Department of Agriculture Organic Food Program (WSDA) (2015). http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/Organic/ last accessed April 14, 2015
Weinberg ED (1989) Cellular regulation of iron assimilation. Q Rev Biol 64:261–290
Young T, King D (1980) Interacting limits to algal growth: light, phosphorus, and carbon dioxide availability. Water Res 14:409–412
Acknowledgments
This project received funding from the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station and the United States Department of Agriculture Western Sustainable Agriculture Research Education Program. We also thank Dr. Graham Peers for the use of the fluorometer and for his comments during manuscript preparation and Dr. Ann Hess for statistical consulting.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
ESM 1
(PDF 327 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barminski, R., Storteboom, H. & Davis, J.G. Development and evaluation of an organically certifiable growth medium for cultivation of cyanobacteria. J Appl Phycol 28, 2623–2630 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-016-0819-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-016-0819-2