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Sustainability
Volume 18
Issue 12
10.3390/su18125863
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Review

Kappaphycus alvarezii-Based Bioinputs for Sustainable Agriculture: Advances in Biofertilizers, Biostimulants and Controlled-Release Technologies

by
Natália Fernandes Rodrigues
1,
Danielle França de Oliveira Torchia
1,*,
Tadeu Augusto van Tol de Castro
1,
Rafael Gomes da Mota Gonçalves
1,
Domingos Sávio Neto
2 and
Andrés Calderín García
1
1
Laboratory of Soil Biological Chemistry, Department of Soils, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica 23897-000, RJ, Brazil
2
Association of Shellfish Farmers and Fishermen of Paraty, Paraty 23970-000, RJ, Brazil
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2026, 18(12), 5863; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18125863 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 31 March 2026 / Revised: 18 May 2026 / Accepted: 25 May 2026 / Published: 8 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Macroalgae as Innovative Agricultural Inputs and Climate-Smart Agroecosystems: From the Sea to the Soil)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The red macroalga Kappaphycus alvarezii, widely cultivated for carrageenan extraction, has emerged as a promising blue economy resource of bioactive compounds for sustainable agriculture. However, knowledge regarding the composition, mechanisms of action, agronomic effects, and large-scale applicability of K. alvarezii-based products remains fragmented. Therefore, this review provides an overview of the potential of K. alvarezii and its by-products for the development of agricultural bioinputs, addressing species diversity, cultivation practices, chemical characterization of bioactive compounds, and their agronomic applications. Literature evidence indicates that K. alvarezii biomass is rich in sulfated polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, photoprotective pigments, fatty acids, and metabolites with hormone-like activity, which have been associated with enhanced plant growth, increased photosynthetic efficiency, and improved tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, resulting in productivity gains in crops such as rice, maize, sugarcane, soybean, and vegetables. In addition, biomass represents a potential source of potassium and micronutrients that can complement conventional fertilization. Recent technological advances, as well as regulatory aspects and challenges related to the integration of these products into the global agricultural market, are also discussed. Overall, the evidence highlights the potential of K. alvarezii as a renewable resource for the development of innovative agricultural bioinputs, as biofertilizers and plant biostimulants.
Keywords: bioactive compounds; biostimulant formulations; seaweed biostimulants; sustainable agriculture bioactive compounds; biostimulant formulations; seaweed biostimulants; sustainable agriculture

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MDPI and ACS Style

Rodrigues, N.F.; Torchia, D.F.d.O.; de Castro, T.A.v.T.; Gonçalves, R.G.d.M.; Neto, D.S.; García, A.C. Kappaphycus alvarezii-Based Bioinputs for Sustainable Agriculture: Advances in Biofertilizers, Biostimulants and Controlled-Release Technologies. Sustainability 2026, 18, 5863. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18125863

AMA Style

Rodrigues NF, Torchia DFdO, de Castro TAvT, Gonçalves RGdM, Neto DS, García AC. Kappaphycus alvarezii-Based Bioinputs for Sustainable Agriculture: Advances in Biofertilizers, Biostimulants and Controlled-Release Technologies. Sustainability. 2026; 18(12):5863. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18125863

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rodrigues, Natália Fernandes, Danielle França de Oliveira Torchia, Tadeu Augusto van Tol de Castro, Rafael Gomes da Mota Gonçalves, Domingos Sávio Neto, and Andrés Calderín García. 2026. "Kappaphycus alvarezii-Based Bioinputs for Sustainable Agriculture: Advances in Biofertilizers, Biostimulants and Controlled-Release Technologies" Sustainability 18, no. 12: 5863. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18125863

APA Style

Rodrigues, N. F., Torchia, D. F. d. O., de Castro, T. A. v. T., Gonçalves, R. G. d. M., Neto, D. S., & García, A. C. (2026). Kappaphycus alvarezii-Based Bioinputs for Sustainable Agriculture: Advances in Biofertilizers, Biostimulants and Controlled-Release Technologies. Sustainability, 18(12), 5863. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18125863

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