Background:
It is imperative to identify alternative resources that will support the long-term human food demands sustainably with minimal environmental impacts. Seaweed-based bio-fertilizer and bio-stimulants have immense potential in this regard and India imports seaweed bio-stimulants worth $25–30 million from other countries. Alginate is extracted from Sargassum spp. and Turbinaria spp with the production of 200 MT having a recovery of 15-20%. With technological interventions, if both bio-stimulants and alginate are co-produced will open up greater opportunities for indigenous seaweed-based industries:
Technology Details:
This innovation involves the extraction of bio-stimulant and calcium alginate simultaneously from brown seaweed Sargassum wightii with 60-65% recovery of bio-stimulant and enhanced recovery of calcium alginate up to 45% than the conventional methods. The application of bio-stimulants increased the production of vegetables tomato, okra, cowpea, pulses, etc. Calcium alginate besides its traditional use in textiles, food, and pharmaceutical industries has found application in agricultural soil water management.