This photo provided by Wonju City government shows the cultivation of chlorella.
SEOUL, June 1 (Korea Bizwire) — Chlorella, a type of green algae that is packed with vitamins, minerals, protein and chlorophyll, and can be used in the cultivation of agricultural crops, has the potential to contribute significantly to improving farming productivity, a research report said.
The use of chlorella can contribute to increasing the harvest of leafy vegetables such as lettuce and Chinese cabbage by more than 30 percent and strawberries by more than 57 percent, according to study conducted by the Rural Development Administration.
In addition, the use of chlorella also contributes to limiting sclerotium disease and downy mildew disease by 75 percent for lettuces, and gray mold rot and powdery mildew by 89 percent for strawberries.
Furthermore, chlorella prevents the decay of vegetables and fruits, including strawberries and leafy vegetables, while maintaining their freshness for a longer period of time, thereby contributing to better quality produce.
“Chlorella features high economic benefits since its culturing cost is just one third of that of existing microbes. Plus, it also has a wide range of agricultural applications,” said Shim Chang-ki, a researcher at the Rural Development Administration.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
