Seaweed Extract

SEAWEED EXTRACTS

Packed with essential nutrients, minerals, and growth hormones, seaweed fosters stronger, more vigorous plant growth. It also aids in the prevention of plant diseases and pests, giving your crops the upper hand in battling threats to their health.Seaweed: Packed with essential nutrients, minerals, and growth hormones, seaweed fosters stronger, more vigorous plant growth. It also aids in the prevention of plant diseases and pests, giving your crops the upper hand in battling threats to their health.

Documented benefits of seaweed as a standalone addition for crop growing include:

• Crop growth: Stimulates cell division, root growth, and overall plant vigor (Khan et al., 2009).

• Soil health: Improves soil structure and enhances nutrient availability (Rayorath et al., 2008).

• Environmental health: Promotes sustainable farming practices and reduces reliance on synthetic fertilisers (Crouch & Van Staden, 1993).

• Pest and disease control: Contains natural hormones and compounds that enhance plants’ resistance to diseases and pests (Ertani et al., 2011).

Seaweed, also known as marine macroalgae, can be used as a biofertilizer due to its rich composition of nutrients, growth-promoting substances, and bioactive compounds. When applied to agricultural land, seaweed-based biofertilizers can improve soil fertility, promote plant growth, and increase crop yields. Here are the key scientific aspects of how seaweed can be utilized as a biofertilizer and its benefits for farmers and crop growth:

1. Nutrient composition: Seaweed contains essential macronutrients, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), as well as micronutrients, like calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and various trace elements. These nutrients are crucial for plant growth and development. When added to the soil, they become available for plant uptake, thus improving soil fertility.

2. Plant growth regulators: Seaweeds are known to contain various plant growth-promoting substances, such as auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellins. These compounds regulate plant growth and development by stimulating cell division, elongation, and differentiation. When applied as a biofertilizer, these substances can enhance root development, increase plant biomass, and improve crop yields.

3. Biostimulant properties: Seaweed extracts have biostimulant properties that can enhance plant tolerance to abiotic stress factors like drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures. They can also improve plant resistance to pests and diseases by promoting the synthesis of defense-related compounds and inducing systemic resistance.

4. Soil structure improvement: Seaweed-based biofertilizers can help improve soil structure by promoting the growth of beneficial soil microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. These microbes play a vital role in nutrient cycling, decomposition of organic matter, and formation of stable soil aggregates, which improves soil aeration, water-holding capacity, and overall fertility.

5. Environmental benefits: The use of seaweed-based biofertilizers can reduce the dependence on chemical fertilizers, which contribute to environmental issues like groundwater contamination, eutrophication of water bodies, and greenhouse gas emissions. Farmers can minimize the environmental impact of their agricultural practices by using organic and sustainable sources of nutrients.