MARINE MACROALGAE: PLANT GROWTH STIMULATORS

The modern agricultural sector is mainly dependent on synthetic fertilizer for enhancing the growth of crop improvements but a burden of inorganic and chemical-based fertilizer currently created a serious threat to human health as well as the soil environment. Fertilizer research is therefore focusing on an alternative to chemical fertilizer by exploiting natural sources such as marine macroalgae or seaweed. The use of seaweed will be an eco-friendlier approach to sustainable agriculture. Marine macroalgae or seaweed widely applicable in plant growth enhancements due to the presence of biological active phycocompounds such as proteins, phenolic compounds, amino acids, polysaccharides, plant-growth-promoting hormones, and some growth factors, etc. Several research studies have been carried out on the applicability of seaweed or the effect of marine algae or its components on plants and its quality. These types of constituents play their role in improving the morphological as well as biochemical characteristics of plants. The present review study focuses on the applicability of marine macroalgae as a biofertilizer or plant growth stimulator in agricultural applications. This study further helps to improve the nutritional quality of crops which prove to be useful in further investigations and applications. KEYWORDS: Seaweed, Marine Macroalgae, Biofertilizer, Growth stimulator, Agriculture