Journal of Integrative Agriculture ›› 2025, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (8): 3004-3023.DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.02.027

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  • 收稿日期:2025-10-02 修回日期:2025-02-18 接受日期:2025-01-17 出版日期:2025-07-20 发布日期:2025-07-16

Important role and benefits of Azolla plants in the management of agroecosystem services, biodiversity, and sustainable rice production in Southeast Asia

Siriyaporn Chanapanchai1, Wahdan Fitriya1, Ida Bagus Made Artadana1, Kanyaratt Supaibulwatana1, 2#   

  1. 1 School of Bioinnovation and Bio-based Product Intelligence, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Kingdom of Thailand

    2 Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Kingdom of Thailand 

  • Received:2025-10-02 Revised:2025-02-18 Accepted:2025-01-17 Online:2025-07-20 Published:2025-07-16
  • About author:Siriyaporn Chanapanchai, E-mail: siriyaporn.cha@gmail.com; #Correspondence Kanyaratt Supaibulwatana, E-mail: kanyaratt.sup@mahidol.ac.th
  • Supported by:

    The authors would like to thank Mahidol University for the support of a “Scholarship for Ph D Student”, Thailand and the the cooperation with the National Science and Technology Development Agency and Mahidol University of “the Scholarship for the Development of High Quality Research Graduates in Science and Technology Project”, Thailand.  

Abstract:

Global warming and climate change have made food production through conventional agriculture inefficient, and their effects on livestock and crop cultivation are leading to disruptions in the food supply.  The troubles are severe in regions suffering from improper land management and unsustainable practices.  The Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economic model, designed to reduce and recycle resources by using environmentally friendly procedures, has been developed.  The Azolla plant represents an interesting model for BCG and for enhancing community networks in Southeast Asia (SEA) because it provides multipurpose materials.  Azolla can be used for various applications in agriculture such as biofertilizer and animal feed.  However, our understanding and utilization of Azolla are limited.  Moreover, collaboration among farmers is insufficient to maximize the benefits of Azolla.  In this study, we provide a comprehensive review of the role of Azolla in agriculture.  We review the main properties of Azolla as biofertilizers, especially regarding rice production and the interaction with cyanobacteria.  For livestock, we discuss procedures to use Azolla in animal feed and evaluate the ingredients of the meal.  In addition, we discuss product qualities from livestock treated with Azolla in the diet.  This review also describes Azolla-based farming, which is designed for efficient land use and promotes nutrient cycling.  Hence, we show that the Azolla plant is one of the key factors for farm-based agroecosystem services which can drive sustainable bioresource management in SEA.  Moreover, we also propose the potential development of Azolla to improve its properties as a biofertilizer, a functional feed for animals and humans, and a feedstock for bio-oil production.

Key words: Azolla , rice ,  nitrogen biofertilizer ,  livestock feed ,  sustainable farming ,  agroecosystem services