Harvesting the Strength of Seaweed

Harvesting the Strength of Seaweed

An unexpected solution for growing healthier, stronger crops comes from the sea: seaweed.

Naturally resilient seaweed has many useful properties that can be passed on to plants of all types. Seaweed endures harsh conditions in its native environment – from cold and wet to hot and salty. Extract derived from this hardy plant is proving to be an effective tool growers can use to help crops survive and thrive in challenging conditions.

Why Choose Seaweed?

Seaweed extract has been used for many years to help plants cope with both abiotic and biotic stresses. And innovative solutions have optimized the use of this abundant resource.

While seaweed is not a plant growth regulator, it can help plants do the things they do naturally, enabling them to grow healthier and stronger. When applied early in the plant’s life cycle, seaweed extract increases the strength of the roots and their ability to take up nutrients and water.

There are several ways that seaweed extract can benefit crops:

• Stress mitigation: Helps crops tolerate salinity, as well as cold and wet conditions.
• Drought tolerance: Increases plants’ ability to retain water during dry and hot periods.
• Plant growth: Contains compounds such as cytokinins, gibberellins, and auxins –plant hormones that stimulate natural growth processes.
• Root development and nutrient uptake: Besides containing nutrients, it also enhances root growth, improving nutrient and water uptake.
• Plant resilience: Can increase cell wall strength and chlorophyll content, leading to more resilient plants.

For growers, seaweed extract has the benefit of being a sustainable solution. When seaweed is harvested, workers trim off a portion of the plant, leaving the rest to continue to grow. As a result, it has a low carbon footprint.

In addition, crops with larger root systems sequester more carbon. By helping crops withstand dry conditions, seaweed extract can help reduce plant stress when irrigation water is limited, empowering farmers to grow mor using fewer resources.

How is Seaweed Applied?

Seaweed extract is a versatile tool that can be particularly effective when used as a preventative measure. Typically, it is a liquid product, with dry products also available.

California growers first utilized seaweed, and the results were so impressive that it is now standard protocol to apply it on specialty crops.

Use of seaweed extract has spread to other regions and crops, as well. Increasingly, farmers apply it to row crops, especially when experiencing or expecting drought. Applications range from combining with starter fertilizers, to fertigation or foliar.

As a foliar or fertigation, an excellent option is Formula 1 SW 0-28-25 phosphite that contains seaweed extracts. Phosphite salts are rapidly absorbed through plant tissues and are translocated within the plant at a high rate. Phosphites are not as suppressive to mycorrhizal fungi that enhance nutrient uptake by plant roots and therefore can further enhance nutrient uptake. The cold-pressed seaweed in Formula 1 promotes root growth, boosts plant resilience and promotes fruit maturation. ICL’s Custom Ag Formulators has developed several fertilizers that contain seaweed extracts, offering customized solutions for growers’ needs.

In addition, interest is growing in applying seaweed extract through fertigation, especially in combination with phosphorous sources. Together, these fertilizers help plants establish strong roots which grow more robust plants and lead to higher yields. We continue to innovate to utilize seaweed’s natural strengths for crops.

How Does Seaweed Fit in a Crop Management Plan

Seaweed extract is a piece of the puzzle that is especially effective when used in combination with other tools. ICL is developing and researching seaweed in combination with other biostimulants or enhanced efficiency fertilizers to find innovative sustainable solutions.

A critical part of a crop management plan is a focus on nutrient use efficiency. The industry has improved retaining nitrogen in the soil and is taking a closer look at how we can maximize the availability of phosphorous and potassium to the plant. Seaweed extract, by boosting plants’ ability to take up and use nutrients, can further improve nutrient use efficiency.

By finding synergies between various products – including seaweed extract – we are discovering the best combination of products that provides the highest return on investment for growers in North America. Through this commitment to innovation, we’re developing products that give the optimum combination of benefits agronomically, economically and environmentally.