Microalgae: New Source of Plant Biostimulants
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Biostimulant Activity of Microalgal Extracts
3. Conclusions and Challenges Ahead
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- High costs of microalgae, both in production and application, where cost performance could be improved through (i) optimization of the culture medium, (ii) the use of low-cost resources, such as industrial wastewaters, carbon dioxide from power plant exhaust, and agricultural byproducts.
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- Despite the strong interest in developing new microalgae-based biostimulants, few well-characterized products with reliable performance are on the market. This is mainly due to the unexploited great variability of the microalgal strains from the biostimulant industry.
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- Lack of knowledge regarding the biomolecular mechanisms of these bioproducts, which hampers the tailored design of organic farming strategies based on the prediction of their effects on crops, especially when applied in different conditions of temperature, humidity, and soil. It could be optimized by obtaining new insights about (i) the exact bioproducts composition, (ii) standardization of the production processes, and (iii) elucidating the molecular and physiological mechanism of action could substantially facilitate the diffusion of these products in the agricultural sector.
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- Lack of awareness and knowledge among farmers on the specific benefits of bio-based solutions and the farming strategies to synergize their effects towards maximum impact at optimal costs, i.e., exploiting the proven increase in crop productivity as a result of the combined application of green and blue-green algae. Thus, representing a valuable solution, especially within “organic agriculture”, where only natural resources are allowed.
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Colla, G.; Rouphael, Y. Microalgae: New Source of Plant Biostimulants. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1240. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091240
Colla G, Rouphael Y. Microalgae: New Source of Plant Biostimulants. Agronomy. 2020; 10(9):1240. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091240
Chicago/Turabian StyleColla, Giuseppe, and Youssef Rouphael. 2020. "Microalgae: New Source of Plant Biostimulants" Agronomy 10, no. 9: 1240. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091240