AlgaeFert
microalgae-biofertiliser
Lyudmyla Sharma, California, 2024
Nature provides humanity with the best tools for its successful activities.
1. Before scientists drew conclusions about the powerful potential of algae for agriculture, ecology, medicine, cosmetology, and other fields, they found that microalgae are ancient photosynthetic organisms on Earth. What does this mean? At the very least, microalgae have made the atmosphere of our planet suitable for the life of other species, and have also played a significant role in the formation of soil as a fertile environment for plant life.
2. Despite their name, algae inhabit not only aquatic environments but also soil, and its surface, on tree trunks, and even on rocks. For agriculture, soil species are of the greatest importance. They are an integral component of agrobiocenosis, directly affecting soil quality, plant growth, and yield.
3. Scientists first spoke about this when they noticed the stability of rice yields in India—in conditions of monoculture and without additional fertilizer application. Studies have shown that high yields are provided by the large number of microalgae inhabiting Indian fields. Among them, many forms were found to have nitrogen-fixing properties.
4. The initial conclusions that the use of microalgae as biofertilizers could become economically viable and environmentally safe alternatives to chemical fertilizers were confirmed during their deeper study.
5. The significance of microalgae for consistently high yields of all agricultural crops without exception is difficult to overestimate. These microorganisms have a whole range of properties that affect soil formation and the life of agrobiocenosis.
6. In particular, soil microalgae fix molecular nitrogen, promoting the accumulation of organic matter in the soil and making it more fertile. Moreover, they usually coexist with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, making this process even more efficient. After all, the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen is one of the main factors influencing the intensive growth of plants.
7. Microalgae developing on the soil surface absorb mineral salts, preventing their leaching and subsequently making them available to plants. Therefore, soil algae (introducing live cultures of microalgae) provide plants with everything necessary for their proper development and successful fruiting. Especially since they chelate soil chemical elements. Complex compounds of metals with some organic substances are formed. The important result of this process for farmers is that metal ions during chelation transition from an insoluble state to a soluble one, thus becoming available to plants.
8. Soil algae actively photosynthesize, saturating the soil with oxygen, improving the respiration of plant roots, and promoting the activity of aerobic microorganisms. Applying fertilizers based on microalgae to marshy and heavy soils can improve aeration and make them suitable for cultivation.
9. Another important property of microalgae for soil is their ability to retain moisture. Numerous studies prove that the water-holding capacity of soil inhabited by microalgae is 10–15% (and in some cases up to 40%) higher than where these microorganisms are present in minimal quantities.
10. Additionally, microalgae release substances necessary for the life not only of plants but also of other microorganisms.
11. Thus, saturating the soil with microalgae contributes to its improvement, establishing the correct ratio of living organisms in the agrobiocenosis, creating optimal conditions for the growth and yield of agricultural crops.
12. The spectrum of positive effects of microalgae on plant growth and development is enormous, and the result of their use is increased crop yields. But the effect of their application in agriculture is not limited to this alone. Microalgae are also powerful producers of vitamins, micro- and macro-elements, and amino acids, in a form that is easily absorbed by plants.
13. Microalgae play a historically and evolutionarily significant role in the effective growth and development of plants since they were one of the main components in creating the biocenosis of our planet as it exists today. In a certain quantity, they are always present in healthy soil, but their additional introduction as biofertilizers helps solve a whole range of issues related to providing plants with proper nutrition and stimulating yield.
14. Besides producing a complete set of micro- and macro-elements, microalgae also secrete vitamins essential for plant life, making them vital for any living organism. Additionally, microalgae are the largest source of simple proteins. These are high-quality plant proteins containing over 40 amino acids, 20 of which support all plant life processes. Unlike the human body, which needs external sources for essential amino acids, plants can generate them themselves, but it requires a lot of energy. Using fertilizers containing amino acids allows plants to “save” energy resources, directing them to more intensive growth and increased stress resistance.
15. Microalgae also release physiologically active substances into the soil, including auxins—growth plant hormones. Using preparations based on auxins is becoming increasingly popular as they significantly increase yields and intensify agricultural production. However, not all farmers are ready to deal with growth hormones precisely, as a phytohormonal strategy requires almost medical precision in dosing and frequency of use. And “smart” microalgae, by producing auxins, perform the same work clearly, correctly, and without human time and effort.
16. Physiologically active substances accelerate the growth not only of aboveground parts of plants and their fruits but also of roots. Therefore, they are used for treating seeds or the root system of seedlings. Studies show that this achieves almost 100% similarity and survival rate.
17. One of the unique properties of biofertilizers based on microalgae is that after their application, microalgae continue to grow in the soil, increasing biomass (and thus efficiency) by 10–15 times.
18. Currently, scientists have identified over 2000 species of soil microalgae. However, it should be noted that each region has its own species composition, so fertilizers based on the microalgae specific to a particular locality work most effectively.
19. Biological fertilizers based on microalgae can be used both independently and in combination with other types of fertilizers (mineral, bacterial). Their high efficiency allows significantly reducing costs for fertilization, while obtaining maximum returns in the form of increased yields, improved plant and soil conditions.
