Role of Seaweeds for Improving Soil Fertility and Crop Development to Address Global Food Insecurity
Seaweeds and their derived products have long been valued in organic agriculture, serving roles in biofertilizers, biostimulants, and soil conditioners due to their rich content of bioactive compounds. With increasing concerns over the negative impacts of synthetic agrochemicals on food security and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Crops |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7655/5/3/29 |
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| author | Ali Rafi Yasmeen Theivanayagam Maharajan Ramakrishnan Rameshkumar Subbiah Sindhamani Balan Banumathi Mayakrishnan Prabakaran Sundararajan Atchaya Periyasamy Rathinapriya |
| author_facet | Ali Rafi Yasmeen Theivanayagam Maharajan Ramakrishnan Rameshkumar Subbiah Sindhamani Balan Banumathi Mayakrishnan Prabakaran Sundararajan Atchaya Periyasamy Rathinapriya |
| author_sort | Ali Rafi Yasmeen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Seaweeds and their derived products have long been valued in organic agriculture, serving roles in biofertilizers, biostimulants, and soil conditioners due to their rich content of bioactive compounds. With increasing concerns over the negative impacts of synthetic agrochemicals on food security and environmental health, seaweeds offer a sustainable alternative for improving soil fertility and crop productivity. This review synthesizes recent findings on the use of seaweeds to enhance soil physicochemical properties, stimulate beneficial microbial activity, and improve nutrient availability. Furthermore, it highlights how seaweed applications can mitigate various abiotic stresses, such as droughts, salinity, and nutrient deficiency, by enhancing antioxidant defenses and promoting physiological and biochemical resilience in plants. Key agronomic benefits include improved seed germination, root development, photosynthesis, biomass accumulation, and yield performance. By acting as natural soil amendments, seaweeds support sustainable soil management and contribute to long-term agricultural resilience. This review emphasizes the urgent need for standardized application strategies and integrated research to unlock the full potential of seaweed-based solutions in sustainable farming systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dd43f2fc862a4c47be9ec81ca8f02eb3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-7655 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crops |
| spelling | doaj-art-dd43f2fc862a4c47be9ec81ca8f02eb32025-08-20T03:27:18ZengMDPI AGCrops2673-76552025-05-01532910.3390/crops5030029Role of Seaweeds for Improving Soil Fertility and Crop Development to Address Global Food InsecurityAli Rafi Yasmeen0Theivanayagam Maharajan1Ramakrishnan Rameshkumar2Subbiah Sindhamani3Balan Banumathi4Mayakrishnan Prabakaran5Sundararajan Atchaya6Periyasamy Rathinapriya7Department of Zoology, Government Arts College, Chennai 600035, IndiaDivision of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Cochin 683104, IndiaCweedLab Pvt. Ltd., Aymoor, Nagapattinam 614712, IndiaDepartment of Biotechnology, Science Campus, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 603003, IndiaDepartment of Animal Health and Management, Science Campus, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630003, IndiaInstitute for Fiber Engineering and Science (IFES), Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research (ICCER), National University Corporation Shinshu University, Ueda 390-8621, JapanSchool of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (SEEE), SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur 613401, IndiaHorticultural and Herbal Crop Environment Division, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Republic of KoreaSeaweeds and their derived products have long been valued in organic agriculture, serving roles in biofertilizers, biostimulants, and soil conditioners due to their rich content of bioactive compounds. With increasing concerns over the negative impacts of synthetic agrochemicals on food security and environmental health, seaweeds offer a sustainable alternative for improving soil fertility and crop productivity. This review synthesizes recent findings on the use of seaweeds to enhance soil physicochemical properties, stimulate beneficial microbial activity, and improve nutrient availability. Furthermore, it highlights how seaweed applications can mitigate various abiotic stresses, such as droughts, salinity, and nutrient deficiency, by enhancing antioxidant defenses and promoting physiological and biochemical resilience in plants. Key agronomic benefits include improved seed germination, root development, photosynthesis, biomass accumulation, and yield performance. By acting as natural soil amendments, seaweeds support sustainable soil management and contribute to long-term agricultural resilience. This review emphasizes the urgent need for standardized application strategies and integrated research to unlock the full potential of seaweed-based solutions in sustainable farming systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7655/5/3/29seaweedsoil amendmentsustainable agricultureabiotic stressbioactive compoundsbiostimulant |
| spellingShingle | Ali Rafi Yasmeen Theivanayagam Maharajan Ramakrishnan Rameshkumar Subbiah Sindhamani Balan Banumathi Mayakrishnan Prabakaran Sundararajan Atchaya Periyasamy Rathinapriya Role of Seaweeds for Improving Soil Fertility and Crop Development to Address Global Food Insecurity Crops seaweed soil amendment sustainable agriculture abiotic stress bioactive compounds biostimulant |
| title | Role of Seaweeds for Improving Soil Fertility and Crop Development to Address Global Food Insecurity |
| title_full | Role of Seaweeds for Improving Soil Fertility and Crop Development to Address Global Food Insecurity |
| title_fullStr | Role of Seaweeds for Improving Soil Fertility and Crop Development to Address Global Food Insecurity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Role of Seaweeds for Improving Soil Fertility and Crop Development to Address Global Food Insecurity |
| title_short | Role of Seaweeds for Improving Soil Fertility and Crop Development to Address Global Food Insecurity |
| title_sort | role of seaweeds for improving soil fertility and crop development to address global food insecurity |
| topic | seaweed soil amendment sustainable agriculture abiotic stress bioactive compounds biostimulant |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7655/5/3/29 |
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