Seaweed as biostimulant under saline conditions

The Wadden region is experiencing a slowly increasing salinization. The objective of the project Zeker Zilt is to organize and determine the basic conditions for the cultivation, independent certification, processing and marketing of potatoes and carrots on saline soil.

With the additional distinguishing factor that natural seaweed fertilizer is used during cultivation. Seaweed contains more than 64 trace elements that positively influence the taste and health of the plants. Due to differences, the taste of, for example, the potato and carrot changes considerably, they become sweeter and tastier. Because the yield per hectare is low, we are looking for adjustments in cultivation and added value in product processing and marketing in order to still get a profitable balance for the farmer. To test efficacy of seaweed extracts as foliar fertiliser or as biostimulant to counter negative effects of both salinity and drought in an orientating field experiment at the isle of Texel one experimental product is trialled on potato and carrot grown under saline conditions.