The science bit

HISTORY OF USING SEAWEED BIOSTIMULANTS

Ireland has a long history of seaweed use dating back to the Middle Ages. As an island with an extensive coastline of approximately 3171 kilometres, we have an abundance of over 500 different seaweed species.

Seaweed, also known as macroalgae is among the most important organisms on the planet. Algae produce over 70% of the earth’s oxygen and can serve as a major carbon sink, while also satisfying global needs for food, fuel, agricultural and pharmaceutical products.

In agriculture, seaweed extracts are widely used in plant nutrition. They act as biostimulants due to the presence of plant hormones. Biostimulants act through different pathways than nutrients, regulating and enhancing the plant’s physiological process. These processes therefore improve plant health, crop yields & quality, as well as post-harvest shelf life. Some of the benefits of using seaweed biostimulants include:

Studty of seaweed biostimulants

  • An increase in crop yield as well as enhanced plant health and quality;
  • Increased plant tolerance to and recovery from abiotic stresses, for example frost, drought or salinity;
  • Increases the plants ability to absorb applied nutrients;
  • Improves the quality of produce for example including sugar content & colour;
  • Improves soil structure and its moisture-holding capacity;
  • Promotes the growth of beneficial soil micro-organisms which enhance soil fertility;
  • Increases resistance against biotic stresses such as pests and diseases. This can result in reducing infestations such as root-knot nematodes, as well as reducing pest population such as red spider mite and aphids;

For more information on Ocean Leaves® range of seaweed biostimulants, including our liquid seaweed extracts as well as our dried granular seaweed, check out our online store. We also supply to garden centres throughout Ireland via our distributor Unichem Limited