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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The biomass of algae and algal extracts in agricultural production

subject

description

Fertilizers and plant growth regulators (PGRs) based on seaweeds are commonly known, having been produced and utilized for dozens of years. Algae are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and chemical compounds that belong mainly to the following groups: polysaccharides, polyphenols, phlorotannins, plant pigments, unsaturated fatty acids, sterols and plant hormones. Agricultural formulations containing algal extracts stimulate the growth and yielding of plants in a very efficient way because of their action at low concentrations. Concentrations of phytohormones depend mainly on the botanical origin of the obtained biomass, the time and place of its collection and the method of extraction of the active compounds. Plant growth regulators are obtained mainly from brown algae, due to the relatively high content of those substances and their consistent accessibility throughout the year. Algal extracts are often enriched with such substances as urea, humic acids, ammonium phosphate, potassium sulphate and additional doses of growth hormones. The composition of such products may influence not only the growth and development processes in plants but also indirect factors such as soil fertility or the presence of soil microorganisms. Bearing in mind the potential of algal extracts, it is worth paying attention to seaweeds other than brown algae, as well as to promising modern methods of extraction of those compounds of interest.