What is the principle underlying the use of cyanobacteria in agricultural fields for crop improvement?

Characteristics

Cyanobacteria are unicellular photosynthetic eubacteria that can live in marine or terrestrial environments.

Heterocysts

The genus Nostoc and Anabaena is filamentous and contains specialized cells called heterocysts. These cells have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and convert them into nitrates.

Nitrogen fixation

Ability of cyanobacteria to fix atmospheric nitrogen, particularly in wetland areas like rice fields, is highly beneficial for crop improvement. This property is used in green manure to enrich soil with nitrogenous salts in agricultural fields.