Certificate of Participation in the
22 nd International Seaweed Symposium
Ramal Yusuf
This is to certify that
Has participated with oral presentation In the Symposium held 19 – 24 June 2016 in
Copenhagen, Denmark
Dr. Susan L. Holdt
Chair of the Symposium Henrik Jarlbæk
Secretary of the Symposium
EFFECT OF SEAWEEDS ON VEGETABLES GROWTH UNDER GLASSHOUSE CONDITIONS
Ramal Yusuf1, Abdul Syakur1,Hidayati Mas’ud1 and Paul Kristiansen2
1 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tadulako, Palu, Indonesia
2 School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
Abstract
Seaweeds have long been used to increase plant productivity and food production in the world via their beneficial effects. The effect of wild seaweed on plant growth and development were studied under glass house conditions. Some the observed parameters on eggplant, mustard, and onion indicated that some wild seaweeds performed better over control. The result here indicated that organic compound present in seaweeds can improve plant growth in glasshouse conditions. Results presented illustrate that all seaweeds can increase crop performance compate to control, especially that seaweed Sargassum sp (treatment B) and Caulerpa sp (treatment D).
Key words: soybean, bioassay, elongation
Introduction
Seaweeds are marine macro-algae which grow in tidal and intertidal regions of the world’s oceans and seas (Thomas, 2002). There are about 6,000 species of red seaweeds (Rhodophyceae), 2,000 species of brown seaweeds (Phaeophyceae) and 1,200 species of green seaweeds (Chlorophyceae) occurring in the world (Jha et al., 2009). However, only 221 species are considered economically important. The use of seaweeds for various purposes is increasing day by day, including in medicines, cosmetics, food, confectionery (Kannan and Thangaradjou, 2007), biogas (Sangeetha et al., 2011) and fertiliser (Zodape, 2001).
There is an interested in the use of seaweed in agriculture. This seaweed may cause different effect in plant responses because there are a range possible factors acting in concert. These factors may include to the amount of plant growth regulator and nutrients present in the products (Ordog et al., 2004; Temple et al., 1989).
including seed germination and establishment, improved crop performance and yield, elevated resistance to biotic and abiotic stress (Norrie et al., 2002; Beckett and van Staden, 1989).
The effects of seaweed extracts on ‘Thompson seedless’ grape (Vitis vinifera L.) production and yield variables was studied. The seaweed extracts produced better quality fruit and higher yields compared to control (Norrie and Keathley, 2006). In Arabidopsis plants (Arabidopsis thaliana),when growing in the presence of or sprayed with seaweed extract had increasednitrate reductase activity, suggesting that these marine bioactive substances maybe beneficial for plant growth in adverse nutritional conditions (Durand et al., 2003).A seaweed extract also can increase the yield of of ‘de Nules’ clementine mandarin when applied to this tree (Fornes et al., 2002). At concentration from 0.15% to 0.30% the seaweed extract increased the yield of this mandarin by 11%. The applications of a biostimulant Actiwave® (consists of seaweed) on rocket (Eruca sativa Mill.)grown in floating system showed that this biostimulant significantly increased the nutrient uptake and nutrient use efficiency (Vernieri et al., 2005).
The enhancing effect seaweed on the growth of potted grapevine (Vitis Vinifera L.) plants is reported. The seaweed was enhancing both bio morphometric parameters (shoot length, number of leaves, visual assessment of root system) and dry weight (Mugnai et al., 2007).
Furthermore, seaweed also had been used as compost to grow bedding plants (Moore, 2004).
The leaf chlorophyll content of strawberry plant increased by 11% when using seaweed (Spinelli et al., 2010). In watermelon (Citrullus lantus L.) all measured vegetative parameters i.e. plant length, number of leaves, leaf area, number of branches and fresh weight of the shoots responded positively and significantly to the application of seaweed extract with a gradual effect relative to the applied concentration (Abdel-Mawgoud et al., 2010). The yield of grain wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) increased by 80.44% when sprayed with 1.0 % of seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezi). The nutritional quality of grain such as carbohydrate, protein and minerals also improved under the influence of treatment (Zodape et al., 2009).
To evaluate the plant growth regulatory activity and mineral nutrients of natural seaweed, a glass house experiment was conducted under normal condition using three plant species namely eggplant, mustard and onion.
The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of 6 natural seaweeds and a seaweed by product on the vegetables growth and development growing under normal condition in a glasshouse.
Material and methods
Experimental site
Seeds of eggplant and mustard were germinated (Arditti and Dunn, 1969) and grown in the dark at 20°C for 48 hours in order to facilitate a uniform germination (Nitsch and Nitsch, 1956; Rayorath et al., 2008; Whatley and Slife, 1983; Mackie-Dawson, 1989; Quesnelle and Emery, 2007). After the radicle had emerged to about 2 cm in length, four seedlings were sown into pot (17.5 cm deep x 18.5 cm in diameter) with 3000 g of soil which was taken from SIgi Biromaru District. Onion seedling was taken using vegetative bulb and sowing into same pot size above. Two seedlings were sown into each pot. After one week, the seedlings were thinned to one per pot and watered every day.
Figure 1. above: natural seaweed extract and below: eggplant, mustard, and onion.
Experimental design and treatments
Each treatment was replicated four times in a completely randomised design. The natural seaweeds treatment and other treatments were watered onto the soil. Treatments were applied on day one after transplanting and were repeated every 7 days. The experiment used 6 natural seaweed and a by product of cultivated seaweed (see Table 1).
Table 1. Natural seaweeds and seaweed by product used in experiment.
No Seaweeds
1 Control : Without seaweed 2 (Seaweed A): Padina boergenii
3 (Seaweed B): Sargassum sp
4 (Seaweed C): Halimeda sp 5 (Seaweed D): Caulerpa sp
6 (Seaweed E): Sea lettuce (Ulva sp)
7 (Seaweed I): By Product (Eucheuma cottoni)
All seaweed were extracted using method by Lei Lei Win and Khin Maung Saing (2008).
Harvesting and Measurement
On the harvest date, parameters measured:
1. Shoot dry weight 2. Root dry weight 3. Shoot fresh weight 4. Root fresh weight
Statistical analysis was carried out with analysis of variance using the R program version 2.10.1 (RTeam, 2011). Assumptions of heterogeneous variances and normal distributions were confirmed, and significantly different means were separated using standard errors (1.96 x SE assumed to be equivalent to P = 0.05). Treatment means and SEs are presented in the graphs.
Results
Eggplant
Figure 1. Effect of seaweed extracts on the fresh weight (top) and dry weight of eggplant roots and shoots.
Mustard
Treatment
Eggplant biomass (g/pot)
20 25 30 35
Control Sw-A Sw-B Sw-C Sw-D Sw-E Sw-BP Root fresh weight
Control Sw-A Sw-B Sw-C Sw-D Sw-E Sw-BP Shoot fresh weight
Treatment
Eggplant biomass (g/pot)
0 2 4 6 8 10
Control Sw-A Sw-B Sw-C Sw-D Sw-ESw-BP Root dry weight
Control Sw-A Sw-B Sw-C Sw-D Sw-E Sw-BP Shoot dry weight
Figure 2. Effect of seaweed extracts on the fresh weight (top) and dry weight of mustard roots and shoots.
Onion
Treatment
Mustard biomass (g/pot)
30 40 50 60
Control Sw-A Sw-B Sw-C Sw-D Sw-ESw-BP Root fresh weight
Control Sw-A Sw-B Sw-C Sw-D Sw-E Sw-BP Shoot fresh weight
Treatment
Mustard biomass (g/pot)
0 2 4 6 8 10
Control Sw-A Sw-B Sw-C Sw-D Sw-E Sw-BP Root dry weight
Control Sw-A Sw-B Sw-C Sw-D Sw-E Sw-BP Shoot dry weight
Figure 3. Effect of seaweed extracts on the fresh weight (top) and dry weight of onion roots and shoots.
Discussion
Most of the literature reporting on the beneficial effects of seaweed had indicated that the growth of treated plants was significantly increased (Erulan et al., 2009; Sivasankari et al., 2006; Norrie and Keathley, 2006). These increases were obtained because of seaweed components such as macro- and micro-element nutrients, amino acids, vitamins, cytokinins, auxins, and gibberellins and others PGRs substances (Singh and Gupta, 2011; Finnie and Van Staden, 1985; Khan et al., 2009). All these compounds could driven force to affect cellular metabolism in treated plants leading to enhanced growth and development (Norrie, 2008; Crouch and Van Staden, 1992). In contrary, a few literature stated that the amount of mineral nutrient elements present in seaweed products cannot account for the growth responses, the reason was these products do not contain sufficient plant nutrients to alter plant growth and development (Blunden, 1991; Edmeades, 2002). Therefore, the beneficial effect may relate to contain of organic materials. The observation in various plant growth
Treatment
Onion biomass (g/pot)
0 10 20 30
Control Sw-A Sw-B
Sw-C Sw-D
Sw-E Sw-BP Root fresh weight
Control Sw-A Sw-B
Sw-C Sw-D
Sw-E Sw-BP Shoot fresh weight
Treatment
Onion biomass (g/pot)
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Control Sw-A Sw-B Sw-C Sw-D Sw-E Sw-BP Root dry weight
Control Sw-A Sw-B Sw-C Sw-D Sw-E Sw-BP Shoot dry weight
bioassays have led to be assumed that PGRs substances in seaweed have potentially affect plant growth (Khan et al., 2009; Tay et al., 1985).
Crop cultivation using organic fertilizers has contributed for improving physical and chemical properties of soil that is important for biological development (Haslam and Hopkins, 1996; Galbiatti et al., 2007). Seaweed as organic fertiliser (Zodape, 2001) could be have increased the biological activity of the soil treated seaweeds.
The performance of seaweeds indicated that other elements (eg. Plant nutrients) or compounds (eg. PGRs) are beneficial to plant growth. This product could improve the fertility of soil as their algin content helps in conditioning the soil, facilitating aeration, moisture retention and adsorption of nutrient element (Bai et al., 2011).
Conclusions
Results presented illustrate that all seaweeds can increase crop performance compare to control, especially that seaweed Sargassum sp (treatment B) and Caulerpa sp (treatment D).
The result here indicated that, at last, organic compound present in seaweeds can improve plant growth in glasshouse conditions.
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