The possibilities of the application of algal biomass in the agriculture

Introduction The use of algal biomass, which is a renewable source of many valuable active substances with a wide range of applications in agriculture, includes sustainable agriculture and manufacturing and meets both economic and ecological objectives, considered as a protection against contamination and risks from agricultural activities. The size of the productivity of microalgal biomass is determined now as 5 thousand tons per year (dry weight), which gives the market value of $500MM [1, 2]. Because of these nutrients and the values of feeds, microalgae can be incorporated into the diets of various animals, fish, domestic animals and in animal breeding [3, 4, 5]. The use of algae as feed materials for animals is more common than their use in the human diet. A large number of nutritional and toxicological evaluations showed the algal biomass could be used as a valuable feed supplement, which can successfully replace conventional sources of protein (soy, fish meal, rice bran, etc.) [6]. Seaweeds are also a source of dietary minerals such as sodium, potassium, iodine as well as fibre. Another potential area, where the use of seaweeds becomes important, is their supplementation in order to improve the texture of foods.