What is Ascophyllum nodosum?

Ascophyllum nodosum is a species of brown seaweed, commonly known as knotted wrack or rockweed. It is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and is particularly abundant along the coastlines of North America and Europe. Ascophyllum nodosum is a highly adaptable and resilient seaweed, able to thrive in a variety of environmental conditions, from intertidal zones to deeper waters.

This seaweed species has been used for centuries in various applications, including as a food source, animal feed, and plant biostimulant. In agriculture, Ascophyllum nodosum is valued for its rich nutrient content, which includes essential minerals, trace elements, bioactive compounds, and plant growth hormones.

How does Ascophyllum nodosum help plants withstand weather heat stress?

Ascophyllum nodosum can help plants withstand weather heat stress through several mechanisms:

1. Osmotic Regulation: Ascophyllum nodosum contains osmolytes such as betaines & mannitol, which help plants regulate their water balance. During periods of heat stress, these compounds assist in maintaining proper hydration levels within plant cells, preventing dehydration and wilting.
2. Antioxidant Activity: Seaweed extracts from Ascophyllum nodosum contain antioxidants like polyphenols and flavonoids. These antioxidants scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during heat stress, thereby reducing oxidative damage to plant cells and preserving cellular integrity.
3. Improved Nutrient Uptake: By enhancing nutrient uptake and assimilation, seaweed extracts help plants maintain metabolic functions and withstand heat stress more effectively.
4. Stress Hormone Regulation: Seaweed extracts contain natural plant growth regulators like cytokinins, auxins, and gibberellins, which play key roles in plant growth and stress response. These hormones can help regulate physiological processes in plants, including those involved in heat stress adaptation.
5. Enhanced Root Growth: Ascophyllum nodosum extracts promote root development and proliferation. A well-developed root system allows plants to access moisture and nutrients from deeper soil layers, increasing their resilience to heat stress by improving water and nutrient uptake.
6. Stomatal Regulation: Seaweed extracts can influence stomatal conductance, helping plants optimize water use efficiency and reduce water loss through transpiration during periods of heat stress. Induction of Heat Shock Proteins: Seaweed extracts may induce the synthesis of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in plants, which act as molecular chaperones to protect cellular proteins and membranes from heat-induced damage.

7. Overall, the application of the Wuxal Ascofol series can improve the heat stress tolerance of plants by enhancing water retention, reducing oxidative damage, promoting nutrient uptake, regulating hormone levels, stimulating root growth, and inducing stress-responsive proteins. As a result, treated plants are better equipped to withstand high temperatures and maintain optimal growth and productivity even under challenging environmental conditions.

WUXAL Ascofol is a highly concentrated natural seaweed suspension extracted from the brown algae Ascophyllum nodosum. To preserve the biological activity of the active ingredients, fresh product is harvested by hand and the extract obtained by a particularly soft extraction technology.

Wuxal Ascofol series with few products additionally contains suitable NPK ratio as well as a well-balanced micronutrient composition.

It is intended for the supplementary nutrition of all crops to prevent or control the occurrence of multiple nutrient deficiencies.