Seaweed as Bio-Stimulant for advancing Crop Sustainability: A Review

Abstract

 Seaweeds are an important marine resource that has varied uses in contemporary agriculture. Extracts of different seaweeds have long been used in agriculture to improve plant growth and enhance yield. In the present scenario, excessive use of synthetic chemicals and pesticides leads to a serious global health threat and agricultural land pollution worldwide. Therefore, natural plant growth promoters and fertilizers like seaweeds should be promoted for their encouraging findings. Moreover, this requires seaweed extract-based bio-stimulants, which enhance plant growth and improve the overall resistance of plants. Apart from that, it also enhances the health and fertility of the soil. Thus, the current review is focused on reviewing the various extraction processes of seaweed extract-based bio-stimulants and its function in promoting plant growth, alleviating abiotic and biotic stresses in plants, and improving soil quality by enumerating the mechanisms underlying these processes. The review briefly covers the important agricultural applications of extracts from seaweed and their future prospects.