Abstract:
This research aims to study the accumulation and the release of nutrients from Azolla that
cultured in swine wastewater effluent for using as a soil amendment. In this study, Azolla
were cultivated for 1 month in anaerobic swine wastewater effluent at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 %
dilutions. The results showed that the concentration of effluent and the duration of culture
affected the growth of Azolla. Azolla could be growth better in low effluent dilutions. At 2 %
effluent dilution, Azolla was reported as the highest growth with dry weight at 16.46 ± 0.8 g/m2
and the relative growth rate at 0.11 d-1. The optimum period for cultivating Azolla was 2 weeks.
The nutrient concentration of the cultivated Azolla of N, P and K were 3.35, 0.87 and
7.43 %, respectively. The study on nutrients release of Azolla was determined by incubation
of soil mixed with Azolla. The results suggested that Azolla increased organic materials in
soil and released nutrients during 7 weeks of incubation, starting from the first two weeks.
In conclusion, Azolla is suitable for soil amendment development due to rapid and long- lasting
nutrients release.