Algae as Biofertilizer
Algae play an important role in agriculture as biofertilizers. They provide environmentally friendly organic fertilizers at a cheaper price. Algae play an important role in the maintenance of the natural habitat of the soil, increase in crop yield, replacement of chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorus, enhancement of plant growth, and help to retain water during droughts.
Different Effects of Different Algae Species
The effects of algae on crops and plants depend on the types of algae and plants.
| Algal Species | Plant or Crop | Main Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorella sp. | Corn Plant | Promoting plant growth and increasing the contents of metals in the corn plant. |
| Nannochloropsis oculata | Tomato Plant and Fruit | Increasing the contents of sugars and carotenoids in tomato fruits. |
| Chlorella sp. | Corn Seed and Plant | Increasing the germination rate of seeds and shortening the germination period and promoting the growth of roots and leaves and enhancing photosynthesis. |
| Chlorella vulgaris | Wheat Plant | An option for delivering nutrients to support agriculture on marginal soils. |
| Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis | Rice Plant | Improving the biological and chemical properties of the soil and enhancing rice yield. |
Diverse Metabolites of Algae for Biofertilizer
Eukaryotic green algae and prokaryotic cyanobacteria are examples of photosynthetic organisms known as microalgae. They may be unicellular, multicellular, filamentous, or saponified in nature. They are also the largest primary producers in the whole world, with over 200,000 species. Algae are responsible for half of the photosynthesis in the whole world. Because of their direct involvement in the assimilation of atmospheric CO2 into organic algal biomass through photosynthesis, cyanobacteria and green microalgae are major sources of organic matter in agroecosystems.
- Uptake of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Algae
There are many nutrients in algae that can be taken up by plants or crops, most notably P and N, which plants obtain from algal biomass when growing in soil. For phosphorus, plants usually take up the most readily absorbed form of phosphorus, phosphate, first, because the more laborious the uptake, the more energy-intensive it becomes. - Other Nutrients from Algae
In addition to improving soil fertility and quality, microalgae produce plant growth hormones, polysaccharides, antimicrobial chemicals, and other metabolites.
Fig.1 Proposed patterns of phosphate release from dried algae biomass and mineral fertilizers. (Mau, L., et al., 2021, Frontiers in plant science)
Phenolic Compounds - Protection crops against pathogens or other biotic and abiotic stress conditions.
Terpenoids - Protection crops against bacteria, insects, and other organisms, improving preliminary growth and development of plants, as well as the attraction of pollinators.
Free Fatty Acids - Protection crops against pathogens or other biotic and abiotic stress conditions.
Polysaccharides - Increasing plant growth and protecting crops against biotic and abiotic stress conditions.
Carotenoids - Soil bioremediation and fertilization and protecting crops against bacteria, insects, and other biotic and abiotic stress.
Phytohormones - Improving plant growth and regulation of cellular activities in response to stress conditions.
Our Services
As a pioneer in algae research, Lifeasible is capable to provide high-quality algae isolation and culture services, algae engineering services, algae analysis services, algae genetic screening services, algae-based production services, algae monitoring services, algae treatment services, and algae-based biosensor services for environmental monitoring. Please contact us for more information.
Reference
- Mau, L., Kant, J., Walker, R., Kuchendorf, C. M., Schrey, S. D., Roessner, U., & Watt, M. (2021). Wheat Can Access Phosphorus From Algal Biomass as Quickly and Continuously as From Mineral Fertilizer. Frontiers in plant science, 12, 631314.
Our services are for research use only and not for any clinical use.