Table 1.

Effects of algal bio-fertilizer on plants growth and soil quality (Nosheen et al. 2021).

Main conclusion	Parameters	Plant or crop	Algal species
The use of digested Chlorella sp. at 5 t ha−1 promotes plant growth and increases contents of metals in the corn plant.	Plant: dry weight, metal (Fe, Zn, Mn & Cu) content, uptake of macro-elements (N, P, K, Ca & Mg)	Corn plant	Chlorella sp., Neochloris conjuncta Botryococcusbraunii
Algal fertilizer enhances plant growth and floral production.	Plant: numbers of the lateral root, flower bud, and branch; total fresh plant weight	Roma tomato plant	Acutodesmusdimorphus
(1) Concerning plant growth, algal biomass can replace conventional fertilizer. (2) Algal fertilizer improves fruit quality by increasing the contents of sugars an carotenoids in tomato fruits.	Plant: leaf length and weight, metal (K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, Fe, & Cu) content Fruit: fruit yield, contents of sugars and carotenoids	Tomato plant and fruit	Nannochloropsis oculata
(1)Algal bio-fertilizer increases the germination rate of seeds and shortens germination period. (2) Algal fertilizer promotes the growth of roots and leaves and enhances photosynthesis.	Seed: germination rate and germination period Plant: length of roots and leaves, the weight of roots and leaves, photosynthesis activity	Corn seed and plant	Chlorella sp.
Algal biomass is a viable option for delivering nutrients to support agriculture on marginal soils.	Plant: weights of shoot and root, root density, length, and diameter; Plant: plant height, number of leaves per plant, plant weight, leaves area per plant, seed yield characters	Wheat Plant	Chlorella vulgaris
(1) Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis can be used as bio-fertilizer to enhance rice yield. (2) Algal bio-fertilizer improves the biological and chemical properties of the soil.	Soil: soil biological activity (CO2 evolution, dehydrogenase activity, nitrogenase activity, etc.), soil chemical properties (pH, available-N, available-P, available-K)	Rice plant	Chlorella vulgaris Spirulina platensis
Table 1. cont.1.
Main conclusion	Parameters	Plant or crop	Algal species
The addition of an appropriate amount of algal biomass in the soil promotes plant growth, improves the elemental composition of the soil, and maintains a safe low level of heavy metals in soil.	Plant: numbers of roots and leaves, shoot length, stem thickness chlorophyll concentration Soil: total N, total P, total K	Date palm	Tetraselmis sp.
(1) Algal biomass after lipid extraction can be used as a soil amendment for agricultural production. (2) At high addition rates, problems with excess soil salinity and sodicity may occur.	Soil: the content of organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, total N, extractable inorganic N, etc.	NA *	Nannochloropsi s salina
(1) P release from algal biomass increases the concentrations of labile and moderately labile P fractions in soil. (2) Algal fertilizer releases P when incorporated into the soil to support or even sustain plant nutrition	Soil: P content in the soil	Wheat plant	Chlorella vulgaris
Cyanobacterial biomass and exopolysaccharide result in an increase of enzymatic activities.	Soil: activities of enzymes (β-glucosidase, urease, arylsulphatase, protease, etc.)	NA	Nostoc muscorum Tolypothrix tenuis
Bio-fertilizer increases nodulation, plant growth, and production of the common bean.	Plant: plant height, number of nodules, nodule dry matter, shoot dry matter, accumulated shoot nitrogen, number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, hundred-grain weight, grain plant weight	Common bean	Anabaena cylindrica
(1) Cyanobacteria perform well in bioameliorating salt-affected semi-arid soils. (2) Grain yield and leaf area are improved.	Soil: nutrient dynamics in soil, microbial activities, physical characteristics (bulk density, water holding capacity, etc.) Plant: leaf area, spike length, grain yield, protein content	Pearl millet & wheat	Consortia of Nostoc ellipsosporum and Nostoc punctiforme
Table 1. cont.2.
Main conclusion	Parameters	Plant or crop	Algal species
Cyanobacteria promote the formation of soil surface consortia and improve surface stabilization of agricultural soil.	Soil: formation of soil surface consortia, biomass adherence to the soil under water flush treatment	NA	Nostoc sp. and Anabaena sp.
Cyanobacteria improve crust formation, favor the proliferation of other microorganisms, and restore microbial populations in soil	Soil: soil microbiota, contents of available nutrients (P, K, Na, Ca & Mg)	NA	Oscillatoria sp.,Nostoc sp. and Scytonema sp.
(1) Cyanobacteria can colonize soils from arid and semi-arid areas. (2) Extracellular polymeric substances secreted by cyanobacteria blind soil particles together, increasing surface stability and reducing clay dispersion.	Soil: soil physicochemical properties and soil stability parameters	NA	Leptolyngbya sp., Oscillatoria sp., Microcoleus vaginatus, Nostoc commune, etc.
(1) Cyanobacteria promote plant growth and increase the weight of essential oil. (2) Wollea vaginicola dramatically increases the P content in the soil.	Plant: weights of shoot and root, lengths of shoot and root, flower head diameter and weight, the weight of essential oil Soil: contents of nutrients (Ca, P, & N)	Chamomile	Nostoc carneum, Wollea vaginicola,and Nostoc punctiforme
Inoculation of cyanobacteria leads to biological soil crust formation and prevent soil loss.	Soil: biological soil crust quality indicators, soil loss	NA	Nostoc sp. and Oscilatoria sp.