Unlocking the Potentiality of Seaweed Extract Based Bio Stimulant (Crop Plus) for Rice Yield Enhancement

Seaweed extract, a bio stimulant, promotes various metabolic processes that enhance plant growth and development. Seaweed extract is increasingly gaining popularity as a sustainable tool for crop growth and yield enhancement. It is well documented in world literature that alginic acid present in seaweed extracts influences photosynthesis rate, protein synthesis, nutrient uptake and enzymatic activities resulting in increased crop growth and yield. Despite the high potentiality many farmers are not getting the expected harvest from the application of seaweed extract to their crop mostly due to not following the proper application schedule. To address this issue, an experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, in the monsoon season 2023. The study aimed to investigate into the effect of different foliar application schedules of the seaweed extract-based bio stimulant ‘Crop Plus’ (a commercial formulation marketed by Haychem Bangladesh Ltd.) on Monsoon rice, using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Two rice varieties namely BRRI dhan75 and BRRI dhan87 and six application schedules such as no Crop Plus (control), Crop Plus applied at 40 and 60 days after transplanting (DAT), at 30 and 60 DAT, at 20 and 60 DAT, at 20, 40, and 60 DAT, and at 30, 45, and 60 DAT were considered as treatments. A positive impact of seaweed extract application on rice growth and yield was evident and the variety BRRI dhan75 demonstrated a better response to Crop Plus than BRRI dhan87. Application schedule of Crop Plus also influenced rice growth and yield. Application of Crop Plus at early stage was found more effective than application at later stages. Foliar spraying with seaweed extract-based bio stimulant Crop Plus @ 500 mL ha-1 at 20 and 60 DAT appeared as the best application schedule for rice yield enhancement. Therefore, it is suggested to explore the potentiality of seaweed extract as a sustainable tool for rice yield improvement.