What are the classifications and advantages of seaweed fertilizer?

Seaweed fertilizer refers to a biological fertilizer produced from seaweed or seaweed extracts as raw materials, through fermentation, acid-base processes, or fertilizer blending processes. It has three main effects, namely improving soil, enhancing crop photosynthesis, and improving crop stress resistance. So what are the classifications of seaweed fertilizer? What are its advantages?

I. What are the classifications of seaweed fertilizer?

Seaweed is rich in various nutrients, including vitamins, polysaccharides, alginic acid, mannitol, betaine, highly unsaturated fatty acids, antibiotics, and various natural plant hormones. Seaweed has a simple biological structure, which facilitates the processing and extraction of active substances, and it has been widely used in agriculture and other fields. The classification of seaweed fertilizer on the agricultural materials market is still not unified. Here are several common classifications:

1. According to the nutrient composition ratio, nutrients needed by plants are added to make liquid or powder forms. Based on their functions, they can be further divided into broad-spectrum type, high-nitrogen type, high-potassium type, antifreeze type, disease-resistant type, growth-regulating type, medium and trace element type, etc., suitable for all crops.

2. According to physical state, they are divided into liquid seaweed fertilizers, such as liquid foliar fertilizer and water-flush fertilizer; and solid seaweed fertilizers, such as powdery foliar fertilizer, powdery water-flush fertilizer, and granular seaweed fertilizer.

3. Seaweed microbial fertilizer, a product made by directly using seaweed or the residue after extracting active substances from seaweed, fermented by microorganisms.

4. According to added effective ingredients, they can be divided into seaweed fertilizer containing humic acid, seaweed fertilizer containing amino acids, seaweed fertilizer containing chitin, seaweed fertilizer containing rare earth elements, etc.

5. According to application method, they are divided into foliar fertilizer, used for foliar spraying; water-flush fertilizer, used for shallow root fertilization; seed soaking, seed dressing, and root dipping seaweed fertilizer: seaweed fertilizer is diluted a certain number of times to soak seeds or dress seeds, and the soaked seeds can be sown after drying in the shade. When transplanting seedlings or taking cuttings, seaweed fertilizer is used to dip the seedling and cutting stems. Drip irrigation seaweed fertilizer is applied by drip pipe. Granular, powdery, and compound seaweed fertilizers are applied as base fertilizer.

II. What advantages does seaweed fertilizer have?

The effective ingredients in seaweed fertilizer are very easily absorbed. Two to three hours after application, they can enter the plant body, enabling extremely rapid absorption and conduction. Seaweed fertilizer has functions such as promoting the formation of soil aggregate structure, loosening the soil, increasing soil biological activity, and accelerating the release rate of quick-acting nutrients. After application, it will not only leave residues on crops, but also will not cause soil pollution, thereby reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and reducing negative impacts on the ecological environment.

The main raw material of seaweed fertilizer is natural seaweed. At present, the seaweeds that can be extracted include green algae, red algae, and brown algae. The seaweed fertilizer raw materials we often see on the market are generally Ascophyllum nodosum, kombu, kelp, and Sargassum among the brown algae. However, there is no unified classification of seaweed fertilizer on the market. Most seaweed fertilizers are mainly liquid and powder forms, with a very small portion in granular form.