The potential of seaweeds as a rich natural source for novel bioherbicide formulation/development

Abstract

Recently, there has been emphasis on the need to shift away from the use of synthetic chemical herbicides to low risk alternatives derived from natural sources. This is aimed at lowering or averting the negative impact synthetic herbicides have on the environment and to deal with the emergence of weed species becoming resistant to these chemicals. As a result, more stringent measures or an outright ban on the use of most synthetic herbicides have been put in place by regulatory bodies. As seaweeds are abundant resources in the marine environment that have the capacity to produce diverse bioactive compounds, they could serve as sustainably viable natural, low-risk alternatives/sources to explore for potential phytotoxic capabilities. This could in turn help to enhance or boost the availability of effective solutions in the global bioherbicide market. This review highlights the prospects of using seaweeds as novel biopesticides for the control and management of various plant pests including weed species, and for the development of sustainable agriculture/forestry practices. More specifically, the review focuses on their use as a rich natural source for novel bioherbicide development, a potential that has remained underexplored for many years. However, to unlock the full potential of seaweed-derived bioherbicides and to create a potential path towards its development, increased research and development efforts are urgently needed. This is to tackle and overcome possible constraints posed in this novel area such as variability in seaweed chemical composition, formulation technologies, stability and efficacy of seaweed bioactive compounds, cost and scalability, environmental considerations, etc.