Kapoore Rahul Vijay, Wood Eleanor E, Llewellyn Carole A
Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
Biotechnol Adv. 2021 Jul-Aug;49:107754. doi: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107754. Epub 2021 Apr 21.
For the growing human population to be sustained during present climatic changes, enhanced quality and quantity of crops are essential to enable food security worldwide. The current consensus is that we need to make a transition from a petroleum-based to a bio-based economy via the development of a sustainable circular economy and biorefinery approaches. Both macroalgae (seaweeds) and microalgae have been long considered a rich source of plant biostimulants with an attractive business opportunity in agronomy and agro-industries. To date, macroalgae biostimulants have been well explored. In contrast, microalgal biostimulants whilst known to have positive effects on development, growth and yields of crops, their commercial implementation is constrained by lack of research and cost of production. The present review highlights the current knowledge on potential biostimulatory compounds, key sources and their quantitative information from algae. Specifically, we provide an overview on the prospects of microalgal biostimulants to advance crop production and quality. Key aspects such as specific biostimulant effects caused by extracts of microalgae, feasibility and potential of co-cultures and later co-application with other biostimulants/biofertilizers are highlighted. An overview of the current knowledge, recent advances and achievements on extraction techniques, application type, application timing, current market and regulatory aspects are also discussed. Moreover, aspects involved in circular economy and biorefinery approaches are also covered, such as: integration of waste resources and implementation of high-throughput phenotyping and -omics tools in isolating novel strains, exploring synergistic interactions and illustrating the underlying mode of microalgal biostimulant action. Overall, this review highlights the current and future potential of microalgal biostimulants, algal biochemical components behind these traits and finally bottlenecks and prospects involved in the successful commercialisation of microalgal biostimulants for sustainable agricultural practices.
为了在当前气候变化期间维持不断增长的人口数量，提高作物的质量和产量对于实现全球粮食安全至关重要。目前的共识是，我们需要通过发展可持续循环经济和生物精炼方法，从基于石油的经济向基于生物的经济转型。大型藻类（海藻）和微藻长期以来都被认为是植物生物刺激剂的丰富来源，在农学和农业产业中具有诱人的商业机会。迄今为止，大型藻类生物刺激剂已经得到了充分的探索。相比之下，微藻生物刺激剂虽然已知对作物的发育、生长和产量有积极影响，但其商业应用受到研究不足和生产成本的限制。本综述重点介绍了关于潜在生物刺激化合物、关键来源及其来自藻类的定量信息的当前知识。具体而言，我们概述了微藻生物刺激剂在提高作物产量和质量方面的前景。突出了微藻提取物引起的特定生物刺激作用、共培养以及随后与其他生物刺激剂/生物肥料共同应用的可行性和潜力等关键方面。还讨论了当前关于提取技术、应用类型、应用时机、当前市场和监管方面的知识、最新进展和成就。此外，还涵盖了循环经济和生物精炼方法所涉及的方面，例如：废物资源的整合以及在分离新菌株、探索协同相互作用和阐明微藻生物刺激剂作用的潜在模式方面高通量表型和组学工具的应用。总体而言，本综述突出了微藻生物刺激剂的当前和未来潜力、这些特性背后的藻类生化成分，以及微藻生物刺激剂成功商业化用于可持续农业实践所涉及的瓶颈和前景。
