Species diversity of Oscillatoria in the Pokkali paddy fields of Chandiroor, Alappuzha District, Kerala, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25081/cb.2026.v17.9753Keywords:
Oscillatoria species, Blue-green algae, Pokkali paddy fields, Physicochemical parameters, Alappuzha DistrictAbstract
The Pokkali paddy fields of Alappuzha District represent a highly productive ecosystem characterized by rich algal biodiversity. The distribution of algal communities in this region is significantly influenced by climatic variations, biological interactions, physicochemical parameters, and cropping patterns. In the present study, the algal population in the Pokkali paddy fields of Chandiroor, Alappuzha was monitored across post-monsoon, pre-monsoon, and monsoon seasons from February 2023 to January 2024. The physicochemical parameters analyzed include temperature, pH, alkalinity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and nutrient analysis such as nitrate, phosphate, and silicate. Water temperature reached its minimum during the monsoon season and was highest in the period preceding the rains. During the post-monsoon season, both pH and salinity levels showed an increase relative to the other seasonal periods. Alkalinity also showed an increase in the post-monsoon period. The concentration of dissolved oxygen increased during the monsoon period compared to the other seasons. Nitrate concentrations peaked during the monsoon, while phosphate content was highest in the pre-monsoon season. Silicate levels were lowest during the monsoon. Cyanophycean members were dominant in the study area, contributing significantly to the nitrogen-fixing biomass in the paddy fields. Among them, species of Oscillatoria were observed to be the most frequent and abundant throughout the study period. A total of fifteen Oscillatoria species were collected and identified using standard taxonomic references.
Downloads
References
Anand, N. (1989). A handbook of blue-green algae. Bishen Singh Mahendrapal Singh Publishing.
Anand, N., & Hopper, R. S. S. K. (1987). Blue-green algae from rice fields in Kerala State, India. Hydrobiologia, 144, 223-232. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005556
Ananthu, T. R., & Jose John (2022). Comparative study on periphytic algal flora from selected pokkali and prawn fields of Pizhala Island. Indian Journal of Natural Sciences, 13(71), 40565-40571.
APHA. (1998). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. (20th ed.). American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, and Water Environment Federation.
Asuming-Brempong, S. (2014). Sustainable growth of rice in Ghana: The role of biofertilizers (Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms and Azolla anabaena) to rice improvement. Global Advanced Research Journal of Agricultural Science, 3(1), 1-7.
Bakhtiyar, Y., Lakhnotra, R., & Langer, S. (2014). Natural food and feeding habits of a locally available freshwater prawn Macrobrachium Dayanum (Henderson) from Jammu Waters, North India. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies, 2(3), 33-38.
De, P. K. (1939). The role of blue-green algae in nitrogen fixation in rice-fields. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B Biological Sciences, 127(846), 121-139. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1939.0014
Desikachary, T. V. (1959). Cyanophyta. ICAR Monographs on Algae. Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
Dey, H. S., Tayung, K., & Bastia, A. K. (2011). Occurrence of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in local rice fields of Orissa, India. Ecoprint: An International Journal of Ecology, 17, 77-85. https://doi.org/10.3126/eco.v17i0.4120
Joshi, K. K. (2010). Studies on the periphytic algae in pokkali and prawn fields of North Paravoor and Vypeen Island. Doctoral Dissertation, Mahatma Gandhi University.
Parukutty, P. R. (1940). The Myxophyceae of the Travancore State, India. Proceedings/Indian Academy of Sciences, 11, 117-124. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03049371
Paudel, Y. P., Pradhan, S., Pant, B., & Prasad, B. N. (2012). Role of blue-green algae in rice productivity. Agriculture and Biology Journal of North America, 3(8), 332-335. https://doi.org/10.5251/abjna.2012.3.8.332.335
Petkar, S. D. (2022). Algal flora from the paddy field area of Naghbhid Tehsil Chandrapur District, Maharashtra, India. International Journal of Researches in Biosciences, Agriculture and Technology, 10(1), 16-21.
Pimentel, D., Stachow, U., Takacs, D. A., Brubaker, H. W., Dumas, A. R., Meaney, J. J., O’neil, J. A. S., Onsi, D. E., & Corzilius, D. B. (1992). Conserving biological diversity in agricultural/forestry systems. BioScience, 42(5), 354-362.
https://doi.org/10.2307/1311782
Sahabuddin, Sahrijanna A., & Suwoyo H. S. (2019). Increased Oscillatoria sp. population on integrated cultivation ponds of rice and tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in Idle Land. International Journal of Environment, Agriculture and Biotechnology, 4(6), 1814-1819. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijeab.46.31
Singh, J. S., Kumar, A., Rai, A. N., &Singh, D. P. (2016). Cyanobacteria: A precious bio-resource in agriculture, ecosystem and environmental sustainability. Frontiers in Microbiology, 7, 529. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00529
Singh, S. S., Kunui, K., Minj, R. A., & Singh, P. (2014). Diversity and distribution pattern analysis of cyanobacteria isolated from paddy fields of Chhattisgarh, India. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, 7(4), 462-470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2014.10.009
Song, T., Martensson, L., Eriksson, T., Zheng, W., & Rasmussen, U. (2005). Biodiversity and seasonal variation of the cyanobacterial assemblage in a rice paddy field in Fujian, China. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 54(1), 131-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.femsec.2005.03.008
Venkataraman, G. S. (1993). Blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria). In S. N. Tata, A. M. Wadhwavi & M. S. Medhi (Eds.), Biological nitrogen fixation (pp. 45-76). Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
Vijayan, D., & Ray, J. G. (2015). Ecology and diversity of cyanobacteria in Kuttanadu paddy wetlands, Kerala, India. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 6(18), 2924-2938. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2015.618288
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2026 Salma Jasmine, Sreeja Krishnan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
.