Participant Detail

Research Title

INVASIVE SEAWEED–BASED SLOW-RELEASE FERTILIZER: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION FOR WATER SCARCITY

Research Abstract

Water scarcity is a major global threat to food security, with approximately one-quarter of global crop production occurring in water-stressed regions. In arid environments, conventional fast-release fertilizers leach rapidly, leading to nutrient loss, increased plant stress, and reduced crop productivity. To address these challenges, this study developed a low-cost, high-efficiency slow-release fertilizer (SRF) by combining the invasive seaweed Sargassum horneri, lignin-based biomass, and halophyte-derived endophytic bacteria. Sargassum was encapsulated using biochar, coco fiber, coco peat, rice bran, or mushroom waste to regulate nutrient release. These SRF formulations were tested on cabbage, carrot, and tomato—crops sensitive to drought and salinity—under water-limited conditions. Analyses of germination, growth, and chlorophyll content showed that the coco peat–encapsulated Sargassum fertilizer performed best overall. Endophytic bacteria isolated from halophytic plants further degraded salinity derived from Sargassum and enhanced plant salt tolerance. The most effective strains were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing as Kluyvera cryocrescens and Leclercia adecarboxylata. The final formulation, termed SCH, was produced by coating Sargassum (S)–coco peat (C) capsules with these endophytes from halophytes (H). SCH significantly promoted crop growth under water-deficient conditions and reduced the expression of the abiotic stress–responsive gene SlGRAS10, indicating enhanced salinity tolerance. In conclusion, by transforming the invasive S. horneri into a low-cost, high-efficiency bioactive SRF, this study illustrates how one climate-driven environmental problem can be leveraged to mitigate another, offering a sustainable and field-applicable solution for low-income, water-scarce regions.