Agricultural Uses of Algae

Human Food Supplements

• Mankind's increasing population creates a growing need to find solutions to world hunger. Algae Industry Magazine stated, "Algae offer a sustainable and affordable food and energy future that is clean and carbon-neutral." When it comes to agricultural uses, 1 acre of algae goes a long way. One acre of Chlorella Algae can produce the amount of protein equivalent to 994 acres of barley, 95 acres of wheat, 49 acres of corn or 21 acres of soybeans.

Nutrients for Animal Feed

• Manure contains nitrogen and phosphorus, needed for healthy agricultural growth. In turn, agriculture feeds the livestock we use for food purposes. Just like other plants, algae are photosynthetic. Photosynthesis plays a role in how algae extract nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus from manure-treated soil. Algae can convert carbon into what is called biomass. The algae-created biomass is manifested in the form of oils, proteins and carbohydrates. This is a perfect recipe for animal feed.

Recaptures Carbon and Phosphorus

• When crops don't survive to use carbon and phosphorus, the elements are washed into nearby streams and rivers. The water becomes contaminated and the soil no longer gets the benefit of the nutrients. Walter Mulbry, a scientist for the Agricultural Research Service, revealed how algae can recover the nitrogen and phosphorus from manure-treated soil before it's washed away. According to his reports, he was successful in "...recovering 60-90% of the N and 70-100% of the P from the manure effluents."

Cleans the Surrounding Environment

• The various uses of algae create a positive affect on the surrounding agriculture. Algae naturally extract materials from the immediate environment. Energy, nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus elements are all consumed by algae. This makes algae good for cleaning coal-fired power plant emissions. Algae can be effective in preventing emissions from being absorbed into surrounding soil and harming nearby plant life.

Organic Fertilizer

• Organic fertilizer is one of the best agricultural uses for algae. Algae can be more cost effective than livestock fertilizer. Research has shown that farmers get equal or better results with potting mixes containing algae. Part of Mulbry's study involved growing cucumber and corn seedlings and comparing results. He discovered the seedlings grown in commercial fertilizers did not perform better than those grown in algae mixes.