ALGAEMICRO: The new Ficosterra R&D project supported by the Spanish goverment

The main axis of the technology lies in the synergistic effect experienced by seaweed and microorganisms, that is, their mutual ability to enhance their virtues, obtaining better results than if we used both independently.

Our raw materials, macroalgae, are an integral part of coastal marine ecosystems. It has been estimated that there are around 9,000 species of macroalgae classified into three main groups according to their pigmentation (for example, Phaeophyta, Rhodophyta, and Chlorophyta). Brown algae are the second most abundant group comprising about 2,000 species that reach their maximum biomass levels on rocky coasts in temperate zones; these are the most used type in agriculture, and among them, Laminariales are used as biofertilizers in agriculture). The use of macroalgae in the industry globally reached values of up to $6 billion in 2004, for the exploitation of alginates and other phycocolloids.

On the other hand, the agricultural industry represents $50 million in the use of fertilizers, biostimulants, and other additives, but only less than 1% corresponds to substances from algae.

So far, Ficosterra has developed three lines of certified ecological products based on macroalgal extracts. This line of products acts on soil, seeds, plants, and fruits, in an integrated fertilization approach that allows the optimization of standard fertilization practices, composed of a combination of mineral/chemical fertilizers N-P-K plus other stimulants (biostimulants, amino acids, humic/fulvic acids, and phytosanitary products, among the most common).

Macroalgal extracts have been widely documented to present different components with high biological activity, playing a role as growth stimulants, and performance enhancers, and increasing the efficiency of tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress in diverse types of plants. Thus, macroalgal extracts not only allow better use of soil nutrients by the plant but also contribute to the gradual decrease of chemical fertilizers, thus recovering the full agricultural productivity potential of the soil. This has been proven in independent tests where it has been possible to achieve increases in total net crop benefits between 10 to 20%, depending on the crop and type of management.

Depending on the type of methodology used in the extraction of macroalgal compounds, fertilizers (substances containing NPK nutrients, vitamins, and minerals) and diverse types of biostimulants (natural substances that promote growth without being nutrients, soil improvers, or pesticides) can be obtained.

Ficosterra has succeeded in developing a new R&D project, called ALGAEMICRO, which will be used to increase crop yields through the contribution of microorganisms and soluble macroalgal components.