Seaweed is a natural plant nutrient transporter between land and sea. It is known to contain over 60+ different minerals (eg K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, B, I, Mo, etc.), rich in alginic acid, algal polysaccharide, brown algal polyphenols, betaine, highly unsaturated fatty acids, and a variety of plant growth promotors.
1. Improve Soil
Analysis shown that, in average, brown seaweed (eg. Ascophyllum nodosum and Laminaria japonic), contains up to 61.6% organic matter, which can improve soil quality ie. promote the formation of soil particles; loosen the soil; improve pore space in soil; coordinate earth, liquid, and gas ratio. Thereby, creating a micro-ecological environment for the proliferation of soil microorganism and helping to prevent soil-born diseases. The chelating and hydrophilic properties of alginate and other polysaccharides in brown seaweed can bind metal ions in soil to restore the balance of colloid loss due to chemical pollution from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
2. Promote Growth
Alginic acid molecules [CAS number: 9005-32-7, chemical formula (C6H8O6)n], can reduce the surface tension of liquid and increase the area contact between nutrient solution and plant surface. Improves the adsorption efficiency of nutrients, conducive to plant growth and development.
Seaweed extract is a modern-day farming luxury. It takes ~3 tons of raw seaweed to produce 1 ton of seaweed extract. On average 1 kg of seaweed extract is sufficient to treat 1 hectare of cultivation by foliar spraying.
The variety of natural plant growth promotors eg. gibberellin, auxin, and cytokinin can promote cell division and elongation, breaking dormancy of seeds, tubers, bulbs, and other plant organs to promote germination, growth and development of plants.
Agae polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, monnitol, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, can promote plant protein and sugar synthesis, enhance photosynthesis, promote healthy root growth, improve chlorophyll content, enhence plant metabolism.
3. Disease prevention and stress resistance
Brown seaweed oligosaccharides and chitosan oligosaccharides are well documented macro molecules that trigger innate immune respond in plants to produce a wide spectrum of stress tolerance substances and neutralizing enzymes, such as proline, soluble sugars, enhance the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase and etc. to help plants stay healthy. In addition, oligosaccharides from brown seaweed can mediate the synthesis of salicylic acid and reduce pathogenic activity.
Mannitol and beaine can regulate the osmotic pressure of plant cells, enhance the ability of cells to absorb and retain water, stabilizing activity of enzymes in cell and increase plant resistance to frost, drought, and waterlogging.
Seaweed extract to plants is like vitamins to humans.
