A Phyconomic Game-Changer: Extracts of Selected Brown Seaweeds as Phyco(bio)stimulants for Eucheumatoids

Seaweed extract-derived biostimulants (i.e., phyco[bio]stimulants—PBSs) have been reported previously as effective organic ingredients in the agricultural and horticultural industries for several decades. However, their commercial applications to large-scale seaweed cultivation (phyconomy) are still in their nascent stage, although several experimental studies have been reported since 2009. Among the PBS, the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum has perhaps been studied the most extensively (and may even be overrepresented) compared to other brown seaweed extracts, e.g., Durvillaea spp., Ecklonia spp., Macrocystis spp., Laminaria/Saccharina spp., and Sargassum spp. In this chapter, applications of the PBS Ascophyllum Marine Plant Extract Powder (AMPEP) are discussed at different phyconomic stages, such as micropropagation, land-sea-based nursery, sea cultivation to include mitigation of pests and diseases, and semi-refined carrageenan quality, of several seaweeds, with a focus on members of the eucheumatoids.