Blue Green Algae for Secondary Agriculture

Abstract

Blue Green Algae (BGA) or cyanobacteria are photoautotrophic microorganisms widely distributed in terrestrial
and aquatic habitats. These have tremendous metabolic diversity with the ability to produce a range of metabolites
like pigments, polysaccharides, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, enzymes, antimicrobial compounds and many
more. Till now the major application of cyanobacteria is in the form of biofertilizers, especially in India and
a few South Asian nations, nonetheless due to the production of a number of industrially important molecules
like phycobiliproteins, amino acids, bioactive lipids, biofuels, their mass cultivation has tremendous scope in
secondary agriculture. Many of these compounds are of high value and have applications in the food, feed and
pharmaceutical industries. Nevertheless, commercial exploitation of cyanobacteria in secondary agriculture is still
in its infancy. Appropriate research eff orts and suitable policy decisions are required to establish these versatile
organisms as a secondary agriculture option and a profi table commercial venture.