Azolla Pinnata R.Br.:A Phytoremediator against Residual Herbicides Affecting Pisciculture and Swamp Forestry

Abstract

A free floating aquatic fern Azolla pinnata R.Br. was selected from natural resources of urban forests as a significant herbicide bioaccumulating plant which directly or indirectly phytoremediating the environmental hazards from forest floor including macro/micro flora of piscicultural ponds as well as swamp forest floor. With bioaccumulation of residual herbicide these Azolla plants could stabilize the growth attributes reflecting stable assimilation rate along with the different physiological properties. For the present topic, the residual herbicide affecting the environment was 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D). A significant amount of reactive oxygen species with its concomitant induction of anti-oxidising enzymes indicates the tolerance against the herbicide. Plants recorded a significant nitrogen metabolism due to the presence of nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria Anabaena azollae which becomes more beneficiary to the phytoremediatory aspect. The physiological responses of floating fern Azolla emerged as a potential phytoremediator for residual effects of herbicides in soil. Besides all these, some physiological features of herbicidal interactions of Azolla pinnata R.Br. were studied to establish the species as a potent xenobiotics tolerant one. The plant can be used as aresidual herbicide quencher species from aquatic forest floor. Here the Azolla pinnata was used as enviromental clean up plant for the management of aquatic forest floor contaminated by residual herbicides.