ABSTRACT
Algae are aquatic plants that lack the leaves, stem, roots, vascular systems, and sexual organs of the higher plants. I. J. Crouch and V. Staden revealed that seaweed concentrate prepared from Ecklonia maxima Papenfuss improved the growth of tomato seedlings when applied as a soil drench but their foliar application in the form of spray had no effect on young plants. The herb fresh weight/plant was significantly increased in all bio-fertilization treatments of both seasons compared to the negative or positive control. From the reported data, it could be concluded that marine macroalgae can be used as organic fertilizer for improved vegetative character as well as structural characteristics of plants and subsequently yield character in comparison with untreated and chemically fertilized plants. These results suggest major opportunities for a national project to utilize extracts from macroalgae as organic fertilizer for different plants.
