Fermented Kelp Boosts Crops

Fermented Kelp Boosts Crops Seaweed has long been utilized as a beneficial crop input; however, applying it has been a challenge. In the mid-1960s, two New Zealand teachers developed a solution by fermenting seaweed to extract key plant growth compounds, including natural hormones, bioactives and micronutrients. AgriSea New Zealand, the company they formed, was limited in production as they relied on wild seaweed washed ashore. That changed about five years ago with a visit by Bren Smith, a seaweed farmer from Connecticut. He’s also co-founder of GreenWave, a non-profit promoting seaweed production and use. “I was helping set up kelp farms in New Zealand and learned about their products,” says Smith. “Their proprietary fermentation process provides real value to farmers.” AgriSea markets products for animal and crop nutrition, horticulture, viticulture and market gardens. Products are also marketed for turf and home gardens. They include soil and foliar-applied products, as well as livestock ration supplements. The company describes their products as “a nutrient feast, a smorgasbord for soil biology, plant and animal health.” They note that their native seaweed is “packed full of minerals, vitamins, growth promotants, trace elements and amino acids.” Smith set up a cooperative agreement with AgriSea. GreenWave helps train New Zealand ocean farmers to grow kelp. In return, GreenWave can use the fermentation process in their production facility in the U.S. to turn 250,000 lbs. of New England kelp into AgriSea’s natural biostimulant. “AgriSea makes the soil biome more efficient, reducing the need for fertilizer, increasing root length and creating a more complex biome,” says Smith. “It increases tolerance to sun and high temperatures and reduces the need for irrigation.” AgriSea U.S. is now offering soil and foliar-applied products. They’re available in 5-gal. buckets ($125), 50-gal. barrels ($844) and 275-gal. totes ($2,656) for farmers to test on their crops. Smith and GreenWave’s goal is to build markets for ocean-farmed kelp. “We’re still in the early stages of product introduction,” says Smith. “We’re building a body of evidence by working with farmers to prove out its effectiveness.” Smith encourages FARM SHOW readers interested in trying the product to contact AgriSea. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, AgriSea (info@agri-sea.com; www.agri-sea.com) or GreenWave (www.greenwave.org).

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