EPRA International Journal of Agriculture and Rural Economic Research (ARER)- Peer-Reviewed Journal Volume: 13 | Issue: 9 | September 2025 | Journal DOI: 10.36713/epra0813| Impact Factor SJIF(2025): 8.733| ISSN: 2321 – 7847 2025 EPRA ARER | https://eprajournals.com/ | Journal DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra0813 [24] BIOSTIMULANT OBTAINED FROM SEAWATER IN THE CULTIVATION OF CHINESE VEGETABLE PLANTS Domenico Prisa 1 , Nicola Ghelardi 2 1 CREA Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Via dei Fiori 8, 51012 Pescia, PT, Italy 2 Waterdust Inc., Bridge Street – Unit 2 - Brooklin, NY 11201 (USA) 1 Corresponding Author Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra24074 DOI No: 10.36713/epra24071 ABSTRACT---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This study evaluated FertilTomix, a product derived from an innovative seawater extraction process, for its effects on the germination and growth of Pak choi, Tatsoi, and Mizuna. Additionally, its potential to enhance resistance against the fungal pathogens Pythium sp. and Fusarium sp. was assessed. Starting November 2024, experiments were conducted in Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops greenhouses in Pescia (PT) with three treatment groups: (i) control without biofertilizer, (ii) biofertilizer, and (iii) FertilTomix. Plants were irrigated every six days and cultivated for six months. On 26 May 2025, data were collected on germination percentage, average germination time, plant height, leaf number, leaf area, vegetative and root biomass, root length, and total bacterial count in the substrate. Disease incidence caused by Pythium sp. and Fusarium sp. was also evaluated. FertilTomix significantly improved all agronomic parameters assessed. Seed germination rates increased, while average germination time decreased across Pak choi, Tatsoi, and Mizuna. Additionally, the incidence of seedling diseases caused by Pythium sp. and Fusarium sp. was reduced. Extracts obtained through an innovative mineral extraction process from seawater significantly enhanced plant growth and disease resistance. This approach offers a sustainable option for repurposing recycled seawater for irrigation, particularly in regions with limited freshwater resources. The mineral and organic components in seawater appear to promote plant development and strengthen defense mechanisms, potentially through both direct and indirect effects on soil microfauna. KEY-WORDS: Seawater minerals; Microorganisms; Sustainable agriculture; Biofertilizers; Rhizosphere ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION Life on Earth is widely believed to have originated in the sea, and even today, it would not be possible without the sea. It performs numerous life-supporting functions, including moderating extreme temperatures, acting as a vast heat reservoir and global thermostat [1]. The sea also serves as the most economical mode of transportation available to humans. Despite its vast potential, the ocean remains largely underexplored as a source of minerals. This is due to limited knowledge of marine mineral deposits, the absence of economically viable extraction technologies, and a lack of immediate economic or political demand [2]. Marine mineral resources are found in five key regions: beaches, seawater, the continental shelf, surface sediments, and the hard rock beneath these sediments [3]. Minerals have long been extracted from the first three of these regions [4], and as a result, there is extensive literature on the methods and materials being recovered. Many elements enter the ocean through biotic processes, in which both plants and animals play crucial roles [5]. For example, they extract calcium and silicon from seawater to form shells and skeletons. In addition to copper, animals can also concentrate other elements for metabolic functions [6]. Moreover, biota can absorb the organic components of complexes that help maintain certain elements in solution, such as manganese [7]. Once in the ocean, these elements either settle to the seafloor or precipitate into insoluble forms [8]. Due to diagenetic processes, the residues resulting from the dissolution of biogenic material may later be reclassified as inorganic [9]. The Mineral Content of Seawater The Earth's surface is approximately 71% water, so it could be argued that it might have been more appropriately named after water rather than land. The sea contains around 330 million cubic miles of water, covering an area of 139 million square miles with an average depth of 2.46 miles. Seawater contains about 3.5% dissolved elements, meaning that each cubic mile of seawater estimated to weigh 4.7 billion tons holds approximately 166 million tons of dissolved solids. In total, the oceans store about 5 × 10¹⁶ tons of minerals. Advanced analytical techniques have enabled scientists to detect the concentrations of 60 elements in seawater [10]. With such sophisticated