The use of commercial seaweed extracts as a means to alleviate abiotic stress in land plants: a review

Abstract

Seaweeds are macroscopic, multicellular marine algae. Their commercial extracts have recently become popular as plant biostimulants, which may also impart tolerance to treated plants against abiotic stresses. Seaweed extracts have been reported to enhance root growth, plant health and biomass under various stress conditions, such as salinity, temperature stress and hypoxia. However, the mechanism(s) responsible for these varied responses remain unclear. Here we briefly review the plant abiotic stress alleviating effects of seaweed extracts and the potential role of chemical constituents of seaweeds in those extracts in such effects.