Modern agriculture today is facing its greatest challenge, as nutritional needs of a world population of 9.7 billion by 2050 increase, concurrently with reduction of arable lands and soil degradation.
Innovative approaches should be considered in developing solutions aimed at sustainable intensive agriculture systems
For example, scientific journals and studies show that seaweed extracts provide benefits to crop production.
The use of seaweeds in agriculture dates back thousands of years. Currently, seaweed extracts are widely used as plant bio stimulants, aiming to promote plant growth, enhance abiotic stress tolerance, improve nutrient uptake, as well as include antioxidant properties.
Seaweed extracts can be applied on soil and/or on plants as a foliar spray. They act positively on soil properties and remediation as well as improving soil microflora.
Richard Brereton, Acadian Plant Health’s Global Field Development Lead, explains that a plant responds depending on the environment and seaweed extracts are meant to work with the natural processes of the plant.
If, for example, there is a stress event, the seaweed extract will help that plant survive and continue on to harvest. However, if there’s no stress event, it may be more difficult to see differences in results or yield at the end of the day, the response may be more subtle. When you look at a synthetic chemical that is applied to kill a pathogen, there’s a much higher likelihood that a grower will see a response” explains Brereton.
“Biostimulants are not as black and white as a chemical and this has been a roadblock for the industry in the past. Putting the benefits of these two products together though could be a game changer for agriculture moving forward.”