| Summary: | The continued increase in human populations and use of chemical fertilizers remain a threat to the health and stability of human–ecological systems worldwide. To ameliorate this problem and achieve long-term food security, a variety of ecofriendly technologies have been developed, including the production of cyanobacteria-based biofertilizers. This technology can be optimized through experiments that assess how plant growth is enhanced under different biofertilizer concentrations (g L<sup>−1</sup>). In this study, the biofertilizer capabilities of various concentrations of sonicated biomass (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 40 g L<sup>−1</sup>) derived from the cyanobacteria <i>Arthrospira maxima</i> on the growth of basil (<i>Ocimum basilicum,</i> Lamiaceae) were assessed, comparing their effectiveness with that of a positive control, a commercial biofertilizer (OptiMar Algas Marinas<sup>®</sup>) administered at 4 mL L<sup>−1</sup>. Generally, increased concentrations led to enhanced growth parameters; however, discernible differences from the negative control (0 g L<sup>−1</sup>) were often observed only when concentrations exceeded 5 g L<sup>−1</sup>. Surprisingly, the negative and positive controls often yielded similar results. A chemical composition analysis of <i>A. maxima</i> revealed high concentrations of the phytohormones, macronutrients, and essential amino acids that likely explain how our <i>A. maxima</i> sample enhanced growth in basil. Further research is required to determine how other crop plants respond to different concentrations of <i>A. maxima</i>. Additionally, assessing the feasibility of creating an economically accessible product with a higher concentration of <i>A. maxima</i> is crucial for practical applications.
|
|---|