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Molecular composition of the Humeome extracted from different green composts and their biostimulation on early growth of maize

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Abstract

Background and aims

The use of composted agricultural wastes as source of biostimulant compounds provides an added value to the recycling of biomasses. This study aims to expand the knowledge on the relationship between molecular composition and bioactivity of the Humeome extracted from green composts.

Methods

Humic acids (HA) were isolated from the following green composts: 1. artichoke (HA-CYN), 2. artichoke/fennel (HA-CYNF), 3. tomato (HA-TOM), 4. cauliflower (HA-CAV). The compost-extracted Humeome was characterized by solid- and liquid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy, Infrared Spectrometry, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS), elemental and thermal analyses (TGA, DSC), and the effects on maize (Zea mays L.) seedling growth (roots and shoots) and leaves chlorophyll content, investigated at three different concentration rates (25, 50 and 100 mg L−1 C).

Results

All Humeomes from green composts generally favored plant growth, with HA-CYN and HA-CAV being active at small concentrations, while HA-TOM and HA-CYNF at greater application rates. The response of HA-CYN and HA-CAV was attributed to their large hydrophobicity that may favor adhesion to roots surfaces and concomitant release of bioactive molecules, whereas the toxicity of phenolic moieties in HA-TOM and HA-CYNF could only be mitigated by tighter intermolecular aggregation at greater concentrations.

Conclusion

Bioactivity of Humeomes from green composts appeared to be related to their composition and consequent conformational structure in solution, whose flexibility determines the potential release of bioactive molecules that directly or indirectly influence plants development.

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Acknowledgements

In This study was conducted in partial fulfillment of PhD thesis of H.M. and was funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Program 662 (FP7/2007–2013) under Grant Agreement no 312117 (BIOFECTOR) and by CORE Organic II (FP7 ERA-NET) under the Grant Agreement no. 249667 (Improve-P).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy

    Vincenza Cozzolino, Davide Savy & Alessandro Piccolo

  2. Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca sulla Risonanza Magnetica Nucleare per l’Ambiente, l’Agro-Alimentare ed i Nuovi Materiali (CERMANU), Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy

    Hiarhi Monda, Giovanni Vinci, Marios Drosos & Alessandro Piccolo

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  1. Hiarhi Monda
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  2. Vincenza Cozzolino
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  4. Marios Drosos
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  5. Davide Savy
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Correspondence to Vincenza Cozzolino or Alessandro Piccolo.

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Monda, H., Cozzolino, V., Vinci, G. et al. Molecular composition of the Humeome extracted from different green composts and their biostimulation on early growth of maize. Plant Soil 429, 407–424 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3642-5

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