If the results are confirmed, this could represent a major scientific breakthrough for the Caribbean. Sargassum washes up in large quantities on the coast and causes numerous problems, but it may ultimately prove useful for crops, thanks to properties that were previously unknown!
Encouraging results
The French Agricultural Research Center for International Development (CIRAD) regularly conducts experiments on Sargassum and has just revealed that «these algae could […] become a source of innovation for more sustainable agriculture.».
As part of its work on innovation in the field of agroecology, CIRAD has reportedly achieved very concrete and encouraging results. «The SAVE-C project has thus made it possible to evaluate the insecticidal potential of extracts from these algae against Bemisia tobacco shops and to explore their use as natural biopesticides. »The results obtained highlight promising prospects for the development of new, naturally derived biocontrol solutions,” the Caribbean Agro-Environmental Campus (CAEC) noted in a social media post.
In practical terms?
CIRAD scientists are attempting to extract compounds from Sargassum in order to find a practical application for them in the field of agroecology. Based on the study, sargassum could have very practical applications and serve as a naturally derived bioinsecticide and biopesticide, enabling biological control. Specifically, researchers observed «up to 70 % mortality in adult whiteflies,» «a reduction in egg-laying,» and «disruption of larval development.»The practical application of these results still needs to be developed, but research is continuing given the significance of the issues at stake. «Further research is still needed, but these initial results open up promising prospects for the development of naturally derived biocontrol solutions in the Caribbean region,» adds the CAEC.
