• Sharon Maria Jacob
• Dr. R. Ranjith Kumar

Modern cultivation of vegetables and crops are profoundly dependent on the fertilizers for a higher yield, but currently, the high usage of chemically synthesized based fertilizers and inorganic chemicals could cause several threats to human health including the environment. Therefore, applied science researchers turn to concentrate more, on the exploitation of microorganisms like algae, fungi, bacteria, thus can be a more simple, fast and eco-friendly sustainable approach in the field of vegetable and crop cultivation. Among them, cyanobacteria (blue green algae (BGA)), is an interesting group of microorganisms that also have numerous application in advanced biotechnology potential for current crop cultivation methods, through enhancement of nutrient availability, maintaining the organic carbon and can live in association with higher plants, because generally, microbes are a biotechnological tool box. Currently, the application of cyanobacteria biomass production and its use as a liquid fertilizer for hydroponic cultivation is a feasible option, thus, empower basically the plant growth and more yields. This cyanobacteria liquid fertilizer allows and stimulates the microbiota in liquid fertilizer medium, which could enhance the nitrogen fixation. Apart from this, cyanobacteria and other group of algae basically produce various bioactive compounds, especially the crop related chemicals, such as growth hormones, enzymes, polysaccharides and antibiotic agents, in liquid fertilizer/soil. However, the hurdles mainly to develop commercialized biofertilizers needs to be addressed in the field of large-scale investigations, along with minimizing the cost of production in an effective manner, thus, could be a win-win situation in the field of algal liquid fertilizer production as an important sustainable eco-friendly resource. This review article focuses on the research achievements on eco-friendly, sustainable microalgae and cyanobacteria-based plant biofertilizers and bio-stimulants, in the hydroponic vegetable (Mentha) cultivation.

Cyanobacteria; Spirulina;Liquid fertilizer;Hydroponics; Crop cultivation; Mentha

"Sustainable initiative of using cyanobacteria as a liquid fertilizer for hydroponic cultivation: A waste to wealth utilization.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 8, page no.1430-1461, August-2020, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2008187.pdf

"Sustainable initiative of using cyanobacteria as a liquid fertilizer for hydroponic cultivation: A waste to wealth utilization.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 8, page no. pp1430-1461, August-2020, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2008187.pdf