SBioStimulant OJA001s—Sargassum‑Based Organic Biostimulant

Overview

BioStimulant OJA001s is a 100% organic agricultural extract derived from Sargassum seaweed, developed by The UWI’s Plant‑Microbe‑Biotech research group. A team out of the Campus’s Department of Life Sciences, Professor Jayaraj Jayaraman, Professor Adesh Ramsubhag and Mr Omar Ali, has been researching Caribbean seaweeds for more than a decade. The team’s focus shifted to sargassum when it became clear this was going to be a problem for the region. Decomposing sargassum not only presents an eyesore, but can be dangerous to humans, animals and the ecosystem. As such, the best strategy to alleviate this problem was to find an innovative solution for biomass. The research at The UWI, St Augustine saw the development of eco-friendly and energy-efficient methods of extracting biostimulant molecules from the dried seaweed biomass. The studies showed that the extracts contain several ‘miracle’ molecules that act as triggers for enhancing plant growth and defence against pests and diseases while promoting tolerance to abiotic stress conditions.

It turns a regional environmental challenge—sargassum influx—into a high‑value agricultural input.

Key Benefits

• Promotes plant growth and yield (up to ~70%)
• Enhances resilience to environmental stress
• Reduces chemical input requirements by up to 70%
• Compatible with existing agrochemical practices
• Non‑toxic and environmentally friendly

Commercial Status

• Technology readiness achieved
• Pilot production planned (2,000L/month capacity)
• Competitive pricing (up to 30% below comparable products)
• Strong scalability and Caribbean‑wide relevance