Effect of Pterocladia capillacea Seaweed Extracts on Growth Parameters and Biochemical Constituents of Jew’s Mallow

Abstract

We performed field experiments to evaluate the influence of two extraction treatments, seaweed (Pterocladia capillacea S.G. Gmelin) water extraction (WE) and ultrasound-assisted water extraction (USWE) at three concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%), as well as control NPK traditional mineral fertilizer on the growth, yield, minerals, and antioxidants of Jew’s Mallow (Corchorus olitorius L.) during the two seasons of 2016 and 2017 in Egypt. Plant height, number of leaves, and fresh weight of WE10 treatment were the highest (p < 0.05) as 59.67 cm, 10.67 and 2.41 kg m−2 in 2016, respectively, and 57.33 cm, 11.00 and 2.32 kg m−2 in 2017, respectively. WE10 and USWE5 treatments produced the highest dry matter (17.07%) in 2016 and (16.97%) in 2017, respectively. WE10 plants had an increased water productivity of 41.2% relative to control plants in both seasons. The highest chlorophyll ‘a’ was recorded after the WE10 treatment in 2016 and 2017 (17.79 μg g−1 and 17.84 μg g−1, respectively). The highest levels of total antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, and total flavonoids were also recorded after the WE10 treatment. Application of WE10 boosted growth, yield, minerals, and antioxidants of Jew’s Mallow. The CROPWAT model was used to estimate the evapotranspiration, irrigation water requirements, and yield response to irrigation scheduling. Our data showed a yield reduction in the initial growth stage if a limited amount of water was provided. Therefore, irrigation water should be provided during the most important stages of crop development with the choice of effective irrigation practices to avoid water losses, as this helps to maximize yield.

Impact of Seaweed Liquid Extract Biostimulant on Growth, Yield, and Chemical Composition of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

“…Seaweed extracts are amongst the most commonly utilized important sustainable biostimulants [4]. The employment of seaweed extracts as biostimulants in agricultural practices is very ancient, having been in use since early plant breeding [3].…”

“…The positive impacts of seaweed extracts as plant biostimulants have been reported in the literature. Some of the most frequently used extracts are reported to be Pterocladia capillacea [4], Ascophyllum nodosum [16], Ecklonia maxima, Sargassum spp. [17], Ulva lactuca, Caulerpa sertularioides, Padina gymnospora, Sargassum liebmannii [18], U. lactuca, Laminaria spp., P. gymnospora, Durvillaea potatumum, C. sertularioides, S. johnstonii, and S. liebmannii [19].…”

“…[17], Ulva lactuca, Caulerpa sertularioides, Padina gymnospora, Sargassum liebmannii [18], U. lactuca, Laminaria spp., P. gymnospora, Durvillaea potatumum, C. sertularioides, S. johnstonii, and S. liebmannii [19]. Often, some undefined biologically effective compounds in seaweed extracts can cause plants to produce their phytohormones through internal metabolic pathways [4].…”

“…Despite the availability of different seaweed extract supplementations for plant techniques, foliar spray administration in modern agriculture has been sufficiently and broadly used to increase the yield of many commercial crops, with very promising results. As reported previously, seaweed liquid fertilizers could increase chlorophyll content [20], increase total yield [4], and improve the root system [21]. In conjunction with its rapid and easy handling process, the applicability of seaweed extract foliar spraying has been studied [22], with a focus on stimulating growth and increasing the productivity of some important vegetable crops, such as cucumber [23][24][25][26].…”

Toward a Sustainable Agriculture Through Plant Biostimulants: From Experimental Data to Practical Applications

“…Seaweed extracts, also known as macroalgae, are considered an important category of non-microbial plant biostimulants due to their use on several agronomic and horticultural crops under both conventional and organic farming systems [34]. Several authors reported that macroalgae such as Ascophyllum nodosum, Ecklonia maxima or Pterocladia capillacea can: (i) improve the agronomic performance of soybean and bean [35,36], potato [37], and Jew's mallow [38]; and (ii) enhance fruit setting in eggplant [39]. In addition to seaweed extracts, the use of PGPR such as Bacillus thuringiensis was also considered an efficient approach to boost yield in a sustainable manner.…”