Defatted biomass of the green microalga Chlorella sp. as a sustainable biostimulant to enhance barley growth under saline conditions.
El-Akhdar I, Elsakhawy T, Elakhdar A
Biostimulants
If you grow vegetables in raised beds amended with recycled materials, this research points toward a future where the waste from algae fuel farms becomes the next generation of soil drench — boosting harvests with zero synthetic inputs.
Scientists took the leftover mush from algae after squeezing out its oil for fuel, made it into a plant spray and seed soak, and applied it to barley growing in very salty water. The treated barley grew better, produced more grain, and absorbed more nutrients than untreated plants — even under conditions that usually cripple crops. This suggests that what the biofuel industry throws away could become a powerful, eco-friendly plant tonic.
Key Findings
Combining seed soaking and foliar spraying with defatted Chlorella extract increased barley grain dry weight by 37% under saline conditions.
The algal extract boosted the electron transport rate (a measure of photosynthetic efficiency) by 22%, and raised grain protein content to 9.6%.
GC-MS analysis identified 28 bioactive compounds in the extract, primarily fatty acids and esters known to promote plant growth and stress tolerance.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers found that a byproduct of algae-based biofuel production — the leftover biomass from Chlorella algae after oil extraction — can act as a powerful natural growth booster for barley, helping it thrive even in salty soils. Applying the algal extract increased grain yield by 37% and improved nutrient uptake, offering a circular-economy solution that turns biodiesel waste into a crop enhancer.
Abstract Preview
Defatted microalgal biomass represents a potentially sustainable resource for biostimulant production, reducing waste from biodiesel processing while enhancing crop resilience to abiotic stress. Th...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Chloroplast Genome Editing Eliminates Gluten Immunogenicity in Triticum aestivum
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Barley, a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. One of the first cultivated grains, it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikelets and making it much easier to harvest. Its use then spread throughou...