There is abundance of algae in Pakistan and it can be utilized to produce biofuel, resolve a number of agricultural and medicinal issues and produce several food items without using chemicals in Pakistan.
The importance of algae cannot be denied in agriculture. Algae plays an important role in agriculture where they are used as biofertilizers and soil stabilizers. Algae, particularly the seaweeds, are used as fertilizers, resulting in less nitrogen and phosphorous runoff than the one from the use of livestock manure.
Algae, especially cyanobacteria, may be the most important nitrogen-fixing agents in many agricultural soils. Nitrogen fixing forms increase the nitrogen content of the habitat and supply nitrates in symbiotic relationships where they enhance the nutritive quality of the host plant, which could be used as green manure, fodder, and fish feed.
There is abundance of algae in Pakistan and it can be utilized to produce biofuel, resolve a number of agricultural and medicinal issues and produce several food items without using chemicals in Pakistan.
Importance of algae was underscored by the speakers while addressing the inaugural session of a one-week international psychological training workshop organized by Punjab University Institute of Botany’s (IoB) Phycology Research Laboratory in collaboration with International Society for Applied Phychology, Pakistan Science Foundation, Higher Education Commission and Punjab Higher Education Commission at its auditorium here on Monday.
Dean Faculty of Life Sciences Prof Dr Javed Iqbal Qazi, IoB Director Prof Dr Abdul Nasir Khalid, Chief Organizer Prof Dr Ghazala Yasmeen Butt, researchers from various international and Pakistani universities and a number of students participated in the event.
Addressing the ceremony, Prof Dr Javed Iqbal Qazi said that interdisciplinary research work was being promoted across the world and through such joint research efforts, the scientists could contribute for resolving several issues being faced by the country.
Prof Dr Ghazala Yasmeen Butt said that continuous research on plants had enabled them to fulfill the expanding demands of human society for food, shelter, medicine etc.
Algae are important components of arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Furthermore, their distribution may indicate the health of the environment. In recent years, many considerations were sent towards the possibility of using algae as biological conditioners instead of any artificial or chemical conditioners, where algal use reduces the resultant pollution to soil and plants together, in addition to their ability to improve both soil and plant properties.
Originally published at Pakistan Observer