Impact of seaweeds on agricultural crop production as biofertilizer

Seaweeds or marine macroalgae are rich in diverse compounds like lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, phytohormones, amino acids, osmoprotectants, antimicrobial compounds and minerals. Their potential for agricultural applications is used since antiquity, but recent demands of organic farming and organic food stimulated much the application of organic treatments like seaweed extracts in agriculture. The benefits of seaweeds application in agricultural field are numerous and diverse such as stimulation of seed germination, enhancement of health and growth of plants namely shoot and root elongation, improved water and nutrient uptake, frost and saline resistance, biocontrol and resistance toward phytopathogenic organisms, remediation of pollutants of contaminated soil and fertilization. In this review, scientific progress in this field was collected and critically assessed to lay grounds for further investigations and applications.