The Use of Seaweed Sargassum sp. Extract as a Bio-Fertilizer
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15362/ijbs.v30i1.565Keywords:
Bio-fertilizers, Seaweed extract, Soil health, Soil nutrientsAbstract
The study examined the effects of Sargassum sp. (seaweed) extract on the growth of chickpea plants (Cicer arietinum). The seaweed extract was applied to the chickpea plant either as a foliar spray or as a soil conditioner. Results indicated that foliar application of the extract significantly enhanced germination rates, achieving 100% compared to 70% for soil conditioner, 90% for synthetic fertilizer, and 80% for control. Conversely, applying the seaweed extract to the soil as soil conditioner increased the biomass and height of the chickpea plants. This increase in biomass and height was ascribed to the decrease in soil salinity. Additionally, the seaweed extract improved nitrate and phosphorus uptake which contributed to plant growth. Together, these results suggest that seaweed extract can be used as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers, especially in the Bahamian context. It also suggests that applying seaweed as an extract does not increase soil salinity as previously observed when the seaweed itself was used as a soil conditioner.
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