~ 799 ~ The Pharma Innovation Journal 2021; 10(3): 799-813 ISSN (E): 2277- 7695 ISSN (P): 2349-8242 NAAS Rating: 5.23 TPI 2021; 10(3): 799-813 © 2021 TPI www.thepharmajournal.com Received: 24-01-2021 Accepted: 26-02-2021 Sumit Sow Department of Agronomy, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India Shivani Ranjan Department of Agronomy, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India Corresponding Author: Sumit Sow Department of Agronomy, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India Cultivation of Spirulina: An innovative approach to boost up agricultural productivity Sumit Sow and Shivani Ranjan DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/tpi.2021.v10.i3k.5889 Abstract Limited consumption of natural food stuff in the 21 st century has led to deficiency of vitamins and other important minerals in the human body. Due to excess and repetitive use of chemical fertilizers, the crop productivity is declining day by day. Spirulina is multi-cellular and filamentous blue-green algae biomass which belongs to the class of cyanobacteria discovered by non-referenced Mexicans in the 16 th century can be a viable solution of all these problems. In recent years, Spirulina has gained enormous attention from research point of view as well as industries as a flourishing source of nutraceutical and pharmaceuticals. It has a very high content of macro as well as micronutrients, essential amino acids, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. It is among the most nutritious, concentrated whole food sources that exists in nature, and is known as a superfood. Spirulina exhibits anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and many other properties. Spirulina has the potential of reducing the negative impacts of wastewater discharge through bioremediation. Two major technologies are being considered for the cultivation of Spirulina: closed photobioreactors (PBR) and open raceway ponds. In developing countries like India where malnutrition is a renowned social challenge and it can be defeated by the supplementation of Spirulina products in the diet. The commercial cultivation of Spirulina and converting it to consumable forms (tablets or powder) can be a new way of agribusiness. Therefore, Spirulina is emerging as a cost-effective means of improving livestock and crop productivity in a sustainable manner to ensure food and nutritional security. Keywords: Biofortification, Biostimulator, Blue green algae Introduction Spirulina is a ubiquitous spiral-shaped blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria). Blue-green algae are the evolutionary bridge between green plants and bacteria. Spirulina is Earth's oldest living plant approximately 3.6 billion years ago and considered to be the ancestor from which the higher plants evolved. It is the first photoautotrophic organism that directly transforms sunlight into compound metabolic pathways (Supramaniyan and Bai, 1992) [45] . The name ‘Spirulina’ is derived from a Latin word which means helix or spiral. It is most commonly found in seawater and brackish water. The blue-green colour of the organism is due to the presence of several photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, phycocyanin and phycoerythrin. Phycocyanin is responsible for the blue color of the organism. According to World Health Organization (WHO) Spirulina is an interesting food rich in iron and protein and declared it as best food for future. History of Spirulina It was first discovered by Spanish scientist Hernando Cortez and Conquistadors in 1519. Wild Spirulina was cultivated in the alkaline lakes of Mexico and on the African continent, although it is now commercially grown and harvested all over the world. In the sixteenth century, the Aztecs living in the Valley of Mexico harvested it from Lake Texcoco (Sasson, 1997) [38] . They collected it with the help of net and making a blue-green cake from it. During 1964-65, Jean Léonard, reported that a greenish, edible cakes were being sold in local markets of Fort- Lamy in Chad, Africa. Morphology of Spirulina Spirulina consisted multicellular, filamentous, unbranched trichomes. The filaments were called ‘trichome’. Motile structure like flagella and heterocysts which are generally present in many blue green algae were absent. The cells are cylindrical and the spiral are loose. The presence of gas-filled vacuoles in the cells along with the helical shape of the filaments results