Plant Pathogens: These microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes, cause diseases in crops, resulting in reduced yield and quality. Examples include Phytophthora infestans (causing potato late blight) and Fusarium species (causing various plant diseases).
Soilborne Pathogens: Certain bacteria, fungi, and nematodes reside in the soil and infect plants through their roots. They can cause diseases like root rots, wilts, and damping-off. Examples include Rhizoctonia solani (causing damping-off) and Verticillium dahliae (causing verticillium wilt).
Post-Harvest Pathogens: Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi can contaminate harvested crops during storage and transportation, leading to spoilage and economic losses. Common examples include Aspergillus flavus (producing aflatoxins in stored grains) and Botrytis cinerea (causing grey mould in fruits and vegetables).
Animal Pathogens: In livestock farming, harmful microorganisms can cause animal diseases, reducing productivity and potential transmission to humans. Examples include Escherichia coli (causing foodborne illnesses) and Mycoplasma bovis (causing respiratory and reproductive diseases in cattle).
Beneficial Microorganisms in Sustainable Aquaculture:
Probiotics: These are beneficial bacteria that can be added to aquaculture systems to improve water quality, enhance nutrient utilization, and promote the health of aquatic organisms. Probiotics help maintain a balanced microbial community, reducing the risk of pathogen colonization. They can also aid in digestion and enhance immune responses in fish and shrimp.
Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria: Certain bacteria, such as Rhizobium and Azotobacter, have the ability to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants. These bacteria form symbiotic relationships with specific aquatic plants, such as legumes and floating ferns, and contribute to nitrogen cycling in aquaculture ponds or tanks.
Decomposers: Microorganisms involved in decomposition, such as bacteria and fungi, play a vital role in breaking down organic matter in aquaculture systems. They help break down excess feed, faeces, and dead organisms, preventing the accumulation of organic waste and improving water quality.
Beneficial Algae: Some microalgae species, such as Chlorella and Spirulina, are cultivated in aquaculture systems to provide high-quality feed for fish and shrimp. These microalgae provide essential nutrients, including proteins, lipids, and vitamins, promoting the growth and development of aquatic organisms.
Denitrifying Bacteria: In recirculating aquaculture systems, denitrifying bacteria convert harmful nitrate (a byproduct of fish waste) into harmless nitrogen gas, reducing nitrogen levels and minimizing the potential for water pollution.
The use of beneficial microorganisms in sustainable aquaculture practices helps maintain ecological balance, enhance nutrient cycling, improve water quality, reduce reliance on chemicals, and promote the overall health and productivity of aquatic organisms.
Microorganism and their functions are to adjust algal population in water bodies so as to avoid unwanted algal bloom; to speed up decomposition of organic matter and to reduce CODmn, NH3-N and NO2-N in water and sediments so as to improve water quality; to suppress fish/shrimp diseases and water-borne pathogens; to enhance immune system. Micro-organisms form vital links in the structure of aquatic ecosystems by virtue of their roles in organic matter production and decomposition, nutrient uptake and regeneration, foodweb transfers, and biogeochemical transformations. Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter beneficial bacterial application in aquaculture system improve the quality of water by decomposing waste products or metabolic products and also limit the outbreak of pathogens in the culture system. They maintain soil fertility and soil tilth. They clean up all the dead organic material; without them we would be up to our ears in dead things, like our ancestors. They fix gaseous nitrogen into forms that can be used by plants to maintain the fertility of soils. They can be used to extract minerals from ores. Pathogenic microorganisms include fungi, oomycetes, bacteria and viruses. Some of these pathogenic microorganisms will decompose root nodules, leaching nutrients from the plant, reducing the efficiency of nutrient uptake and mobilization, and further leading to nutrient deficiency and stunted plant growth. Species of Microorganisms are bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, Algae, and bacteria. Examples of Microbiological Oils: Escherichia coli O157: H7, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Streptococcus mutans, Salmonella enteric and Chlamydophila pneumonia. Harmful microorganisms include fungi, bacteria, protozoa, etc. They cause several diseases in human beings, animals, and plants which can even lead to death. The harmful microorganisms not only damage the human body but also the food we eat. Such disease-causing microorganisms are called pathogens.