Effect of an Extract of the Marine Plant, Ascophyllum Nodosum, on Boll Abortion of Cotton

Ascophyllum nodosum is a brown seaweed that grows in the north Atlantic Ocean.  Recent cotton field studies using A. nodosum in cotton revealed changes in plant growth as well as significantly less boll abortion.  Previous published research in multiple crops indicate that A. nodosum helps alleviate stress across a wide range of crops.  Genetic analysis in several other crops suggests that the elicitation of genes associated with drought tolerance, antioxidant production, aquaporins and regulation of abscission of reproductive structures may be responsible for this improved stress tolerance and reduction in boll drop.  Influencing cotton crop responses to stress to encourage more of the crop to remain on the plant may represent a key aspect to improve cotton production in the future.