Spirulina is an edible micro- algae.It is toxic free, rich in proteins and vitamins and has a high medicinal value.A simple
and cheap technology hs been developed to
cultivate spirulina to cultivate spirulina at home,requiring little space and investment. This can be a profitable industry as dried spirulina can be sold at about Rs.300/- per kg. Three mud pots of 35 to 40 litre capacity/25sq.m of exposed and protected space. Medium used is bio-gas slurry and 2-3 grams of sea salt or chemical medium(potassium dihydrogen phosphate,cooking soda,and sodium chloride)and pure Spirulina culture. The three mud pots are are buried upto their necks in the ground,filled with water mixed with the medium.Bio-gas slurry is the cheapest nutrient medium for spirulina culture.A small quantity of pure spirulina is put into the medium.The medium has to be stirred 3-4 times a day as the spirulina can not grow in a stagnant medium. The pots have to be exposed to sunlight as the spirulina takes 3-4 days to mature. The mature spirulina (medium is dark green) can be harvested by a simple cloth- filtration.After washing the spirulina in fresh water, and can be mixed with the chapatti,chutnies,noodles etc....Spirulina can be preserved by drying it in the shade.It can be dried immediately to preserve its quality and value.The advantages include easy to handle,can be replaced easily ,if damaged and can be shifted if necessary,it can also be mmaintained for long periods if no contamination and no infection occurs