Bioprocessing of the Wastewater-Grown Cyanobacterial Biomass to Biofertilizers

A rapid increase in population has led to a significant rise in freshwater consumption, resulting in a huge amount of wastewater generation. Wastewater contains valuable resources like nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic compounds in bulk quantities, which makes it a suitable medium for algal cultivation. Cyanobacteria are recognized as a versatile biological resource with widespread applications in different industries. In agriculture, using wastewater-grown algal biomass as a biofertilizer enhances plant growth like traditional organic manures and fertilizers and reduces nutrient loss in the soil, offering a range of benefits to ensure nutrient availability, improve soil fertility, and minimize synthetic fertilizers. This sustainable approach maximizes plant nutrient utilization, contributing to efficient agricultural practices and environmental conservation. However, conventional chemical fertilizers pose significant long-term threats to ecosystems, contribute to food security challenges, and limit the potential for land reuse in agriculture. This chapter discusses suitable algal strains based on their biochemical composition and the methods of using cyanobacterial biomass as a biofertilizer. It also highlights the environmental and agricultural advantages of biofertilizers, emphasizing their role in nutrient management and sustainable farming.