Are ocean crops like seaweed the next step in soil management practices?

One of the pillars which supports all aspects of agriculture is the Soil as it provides food and a home for both plants and animals alike in some capacity. Therefore, much effort is placed on Soil management practices to maintain its nutrients, structure and to protect it from degradation. Since much of agriculture takes place in the topmost layer of the soil a focus is placed on this layer, its inhabitants and composition. The most abundant and influential of these organisms are microscopic roundworms called Nematodes. Their size and characteristics has made them useful to Scientific Research as the Caenorhabditis elegan species is now used as model species in fields such as Biology. To help maintain and protect the soil, chemical compounds are used to add nutrients and kill pests. However, given their nature and volatility if not used properly they can cause considerable damage to the soil. Therefore, research into new chemical fertilisers and controls are deemed necessary to keep the soil healthy to the benefit of plants, humans and animals. Therefore, I have conducted research to identify compounds which may control the nematode population using seaweed extracts which have been noted to benefit crops from their nutrient contents. This is accomplished by exposing C. elegans to different seaweed combinations at varied concentrations to determine its effects and better understanding its properties.