The French LOCALITY partner Algaia achieved two important milestones in the project: the successful semi‑industrial production of the project’s final biostimulant and biocontrol prototypes, meeting the target of producing at least 10 kg of products in its final formulation.
From screening to prototypes: how we selected the lead candidates
These prototype batches build on earlier work carried out within LOCALITY’s algae‑based agriculture activities. A screening was conducted by our Portuguese partner, Greencolab. In a greenhouse screening, 26 seaweed and microalgae extracts were evaluated for biostimulation and/or biocontrol potential. Based on those results and follow‑up field trials carried out in summer 2025, three extracts were prioritised for further testing:
- an extract from Saccharina latissima fonds
- an extract from Ascophyllum nodosum by‑product
- an extract from Fucus by‑product
The summer 2025 field trials conducted by our Polish partner from Agricultural University of Krakow confirmed the screening outcomes and highlighted particularly effective candidates. The Saccharina latissima fond extract showed positive biostimulant activity, especially on the crops used and under sudden stress, leading the consortium to select it for semi‑industrial upscaling as the lead prototype. On the other hand, the Ascophyllum nodosum by-product showed biocontrol activity, particularly against fungal diseases.
Upscaling the process: from lab protocol to pilot production
To enable semi‑industrial production of the biostimulant prototype, project partner Nordic Seafarm provided a new batch of dried Saccharina latissima tops. The extraction process was then upscaled and adapted to ALGAIA’s semi‑industrial pilot equipment, successfully reproducing the key steps of the laboratory protocol at larger scale.
The pilot production run delivered 111.5 litres of final biostimulant product, fulfilling the deliverable objective of producing at least 10 kg of prototype material in its final formulation.
The Ascophyllum nodosum extracts are obtained from a by-product of current Algaia production processes. The extraction was also carried out at ALGAIA’s semi-industrial pilot equipment with success, delivering 66.5 litres of final biocontrol product, fulfilling the deliverable objective of producing at least 10 kg of prototype material. This product represents a success story of circular economy and how innovation can bring value to waste.
What the prototypes looks like (composition at a glance)
As part of this milestone, the consortium also documented the biochemical composition of the final prototype batch. Key indicators include:
| % DM | |
| Biostimulant prototype | Biocontrol prototype |
DM | 7.11% | 6,05% |
pH | 3.35 | 4,02 |
Inorganic matter | 45.71% | 28,64% |
Organic matter | 54.29% | 71,36% |
Mannitol | 21.53% | 4,27% |
Fucoidans | 4.67% | 12,48% |
Laminarans | 4.92% | 3,07% |
Alginates | 1.14% | 11,39% |
Phenolic compounds | 0.21% | 3,67% |
Importantly, when compared with the earlier lab‑scale extracts, the upscaled prototypes showed good overall reproducibility in general composition.
Why this matters
Producing a consistent prototype at semi‑industrial scale is a critical step towards real‑world deployment. The successful upscaling demonstrates that the process can be reproduced reliably beyond the laboratory—supporting LOCALITY’s aim of developing nature‑positive, algae‑based products for agriculture.
Production of the biostimulant prototype from Saccharina latissima tops
Extraction step of the production of the biostimulant prototype
Recovery of the liquid extract after separation of the biomass and liquid following the extraction step
Prototype of final biostimulant product
Prototype of final biostimulant product
Extraction step of the production of the biocontrol prototype (before biomass/extract separation)
Final biocontrol prototype
