Seaweed Extracts as Biostimulants of Plant Growth and Development

• Published in: Journal of plant growth regulation Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 386 - 399
• Main Authors: Khan, Wajahatullah, Rayirath, Usha P., Subramanian, Sowmyalakshmi, Jithesh, Mundaya N., Rayorath, Prasanth, Hodges, D. Mark, Critchley, Alan T., Craigie, James S., Norrie, Jeff, Prithiviraj, Balakrishan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.12.2009; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Algae; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Crop production; Farming systems; growth and development; Growth factors; Life Sciences; macroalgae; mechanism of action; Mode of action; Plant Anatomy/Development; Plant extracts; Plant growth; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; production technology; Raw materials; seaweed products; Sustainable agriculture; Seaweed; Plant-microbe interactions; Plant development; Plant growth; Biostimulants; Biotic and abiotic stresses
• ISSN: 0721-7595; 1435-8107
• DOI: 10.1007/s00344-009-9103-x

Marine algal seaweed species are often regarded as an underutilized bioresource, many have been used as a source of food, industrial raw materials, and in therapeutic and botanical applications for centuries. Moreover, seaweed and seaweed-derived products have been widely used as amendments in crop production systems due to the presence of a number of plant growth-stimulating compounds. However, the biostimulatory potential of many of these products has not been fully exploited due to the lack of scientific data on growth factors present in seaweeds and their mode of action in affecting plant growth. This article provides a comprehensive review of the effect of various seaweed species and seaweed products on plant growth and development with an emphasis on the use of this renewable bioresource in sustainable agricultural systems.