Seaweed for high-yield agriculture
Brown algae are the most commonly used in the agricultural sector. The best known are Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus sp., Ecklonia maximus, Laminaria sp., Macrocystis pyrifera, Among others.
Many of these seaweed species grow along the coast, so their biochemical composition depends on their location and the conditions of the place where they grow. In this way, the content of active principles will vary between species and within the same species in relation to the availability of nutrients, light, salinity, depth, presence of fresh water currents and, of course, contamination or heavy metal content of the water.
Within brown algae, some of them grow always submerged in water, do not emerge at times of low tide. Within this type we can find algae as Maximum Ecklonia, Laminaria digitata, among other. While species like Fucus sp. or Ascophyllum nodosum they support periods of immersion and periods where they are exposed to the weather, following the tidal cycles (every 12 hours). This condition of development has supposed a phenomenon of physiological adaptation with particular consequences in the biochemical composition of these algae, since these have had to develop defense mechanisms in front of continuous situations of thermal, saline and hydric stress, conferring important properties for their use agricultural.
Ascophyllum nodosum
Ascophyllum nodosum It is a brown seaweed that grows in the northern hemisphere, in the Atlantic Ocean and in some places in the North Sea.Ascophyllum nodosum It grows adhered to the rocks, floating in high tide hours thanks to some vesicles that contain air. In times of intermediate tide, these vesicles allow a more extended arrangement of the upper part of the algae, allowing to capture more light and optimize the process of photosynthesis. Its collection as raw material for industrial processes is carried out in Norway, Canada, French Brittany and Ireland, mainly.
In some areas of French Brittany and Norway, since the collection of Ascophyllum nodosum and other algae is carried out mechanically, it favors the destruction of the natural habitat and the consequent decrease in the population of these algae, allowing the invasion of other species, decreasing the potential for supply as raw material in these areas.
In the case of Ecklonia maximum, whose population is in the Southern Hemisphere, mainly South Africa, although its collection is manual, the reproductive parts are not respected (main bulb and first 25 cm of the main leaves). In this way, the algae is collected whole and the recovery of the population is much slower, endangering also its natural reproduction and, therefore, its supply.
In Ireland, the collection method followed by Tradecorp consists of harvesting by hand Ascophyllum nodosum, making a cut about 25 cm from the base, which ensures the regeneration of the algae population for commercial use in 3 to 5 years. Likewise, this method implies a careful rotation of the harvest areas and a meticulous selection of the cutting zones in relation to the natural growth of these algae, contributing more if possible to the regeneration and maintenance of the algae as a natural and inexhaustible resource.
To ensure the supply of fresh seaweed, Tradecorp has established long-term collaboration agreements with collectors ofAscophyllum nodosum of the area. These collectors have a collection license that is transferred from father to son, which in turn means a total commitment in the Tradecorp sustainable extraction project.
The products obtained from low-industrialized areas of the west coast of Ireland, such as the areas where Tradecorp is supplied, are considered free of heavy metals. This fact is linked to the fact that the climatic conditions of the area, without large thermal oscillations and without temperatures below zero degrees, confer excellent growth conditions for Ascophyllum nodosum.
Extraction methods
The extraction process is the stage of the production process through which the active principles contained in the algae are extracted from the cells and transferred to a liquid medium to be used in other production processes until a commercial product is obtained. Mainly, there are two most widespread extraction processes: Traditional Extraction, Chemical or Standar and Cold Extraction.
The traditional extraction method was developed in the 40s and consists of the use of a chemical agent as an extractant, usually Potassium Hydroxide, together with the application of heat. Usually the algae used are dried at high temperatures (> 100 ° C) previously and subsequently cut, to facilitate their storage. The product obtained is dark brown or black, due to the high oxidation of its active components due to the drying and extraction processes, and has a high pH, due to the use of chemical extractants or the application of mineral nutrients. All this entails a denaturation of active principles that result in a drastic loss of properties.
The cold extraction method does not apply chemical solvents or high temperatures. The raw material used has to be fresh, so the production plants have to be close to the coast. The fresh seaweed is selected by hand in the factory, in addition to the harvester itself, in order to ensure that the extract is algae 100% Ascophyllum nodosum. Subsequently, the algae is then subjected to a micronized process and subjected to high pressure to promote the extraction of the active ingredients. Since high temperatures are not applied at any stage of the process and chemical solvents are not used, the active principles are conserved and the pH is maintained at its physiological level of approximately 4,5, providing the product with a very characteristic marine aroma and a color that goes from olive green to light brown very characteristic.
Composition:
The algae extracts contain a multitude of active components that are difficult to determine and can be identified in their entirety, due to the large number of molecules present. Although it is true that alginate, mannitol, fucan, laminar and polyphenols, as well as other substances that act with hormonal effect, amino acids, nutrients, are considered as main active principles.
In fact, the benefit of the application of algae extracts is understood as a synergistic effect of all the components, and the effect of each of the active ingredients can not be isolated by itself. Some of its effects are comparable to the action that plant hormones applied exogenously have on crops. This fact is correlated to the content of substances with hormonal effect and not to the own hormone content of the algae itself, which is relatively low.
One of the main active substances are the Alginates, present in the cell walls of Ascophyllum nodosum, and that confer flexibility and adaptation to the phenomena of stress that the effect of the tides supposes. They present an excellent biostimulant effect in plants. They play an important role in the defense against diseases and stress phenomena, acting as elicitors. They are involved in the cellular water balance and in situations of protection against salt stress. The content of this active ingredient is higher in Phylgreen (pure and fresh Tradecorp extract, 100% Ascophyllum nodosum), than in traditional seaweed extracts.
Mannitol is a poly-alcohol that acts as an osmoprotector, protecting plant cells from the negative effects of water or salt stress. It is present in large quantities in cold extracts of Ascophyllum nodosum. Together with other osmolytes it improves the cellular water retention capacity, improving the osmotic potential and reducing the damages caused by water stress. Also, Mannitol is a potent antioxidant, blocking reactive oxygen species (ROS) or free radicals and preventing metabolic damage. Phylgreen contains a higher content of mannitol than other traditional seaweed extracts.
Polyphenols are substances with high antioxidant power, which are in turn produced by plant cells to stabilize and strengthen cell walls against pathogen attacks, since they are precursors of lignin polymers. They can also be substances with antimicrobiological effect, such as the phytoalexins Resveratrol in grape, Gliceolin in soy, among others. The concentration of polyphenols in extracts of Ascophyllum nodosum is higher than in those of other algae. On the other hand, Phylgreen, contains, in addition to substances that activate the synthesis of polyphenols (Laminarans, Fucans, etc.) a high concentration of polyphenols compared to a traditional seaweed extract.
Services
The effect of the extraction process on the composition is key so that the final product has potential benefits very close to those obtained by a fresh algae juice. To the extent that the different processes, from collection to extraction of active ingredients, are as respectful as possible, the results obtained by the farmer in the field will be greater, helping to resolve stress situations and increase production and quality of the crops.
Phylgreen is a pure, fresh and organic extract of 100% Ascophyllum nodosum, manufactured by Tradecorp, whose results have had a great impact on the agricultural sector in recent years. Thanks to its product development, Phylgreen has been tested by farmers of more than 60 countries in a multitude of crops, reporting excellent results in very diverse agroclimatic conditions.
The effects produced by Phylgreen on different crops are very relevant, with excellent results at different times of application or phenological stages of the crop. Olive groves, citrus fruits, vineyards, stone fruit and pip fruit, horticultural leaf or fruit, berries, cereals, industrial crops, among others, are crops where Phylgreen is systematically applied. In citrus, results have been obtained that support its effect as a promoter of vegetative development, flowering and fruit set. In olive groves, early applications induce a greater budding in spring and subsequent fruit setting, as well as resistance to pests or diseases and salinity conditions in the soil. In Horticulture, its effect on rooting, flowering and fruit set, fruit quality and resistance to situations of abiotic stress has been proven. Regarding vineyard, effects on flowering and fruit set, fruit quality and effects on qualitative parameters have been observed. Also, Phylgreen improves seed germination.
These are just some of the benefits produced by Phylgreen, observed and contrasted through scientific studies.
Source: Interempresas.net
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