Diversity and distribution pattern analysis of cyanobacteria isolated from paddy fields of Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract Cyanobacteria have received much attention in soil due to their nitrogen-fixing ability and significant contribution in primary production. The diversity and distribution of unexplored cyanobacteria of Chhattisgarh has been investigated. We attempted to isolate, identify, and characterize the different cyanobacterial strains from different unexplored sites of Chhattisgarh. Twenty-nine strains of cyanobacteria, comprising two unicellular, four colonial, nine unbranched nonheterocystous, 12 unbranched heterocystous, and two pseudobranched cyanobacteria were phenotypically characterized on the basis of microscopic observation, that is, cell width, cell length, average filament length, colonial diameter, and position, shape and dimensions of heterocysts and akinetes. Results suggested that the phenotypic attributes were strain specific. Principle component analysis of heterocystous and nonheterocystous strains proved that environmental factors and physicochemical properties cumulatively decided the structure and distribution of cyanobacteria. These approaches also uncovered cyanobacterial diversity, which help in studying molecular diversity and documentation of unexplored cyanobacteria of Chhattisgarh, India.