A review of seaweed extract's potential as a biostimulant to enhance growth and mitigate stress in horticulture crops

The ecological significance, economic worth, and unrealized potential of seaweeds in a variety of industries, including agriculture, are becoming more widely acknowledged. A few products obtained from Seaweeds are known for their biostimulant activities such as enhancing growth and yield of horticultural crops. In this review, the phytocompounds such as polysaccharides, betaines, phenols, carotene etc. contained in the seaweed extract are profiled and their impact on vegetables and fruits are enlisted. The different source of seaweed extracts i.e. brown, green and red seaweed on productivity and quality of crops are explored. The overview brought to light the presence of various plant growth regulators, vitamins, minerals and other bioactive compounds in seaweed extracts that are utilized in different aspects of crop production including stress tolerance and nutrient enhancement. Studies on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of these three different sources in plant and soil application revealed that the brown seaweed extract performs well on growth and yield for sustainable agriculture.