LAUSR

Demand for new biological technologies in agriculture is ever growing, particularly with respect to the need of restoring the soil organic matter and soil fertility. Products of natural origin are developed to stimulate plant growth and productivity. Humic substances (HS) are the decay products of living matter, with high molecular weight and complex structure. Nowadays, HS are industrially produced from various materials like peat, lignin, soil and compost. The objective of this study is to make a comparison of the impact of HS of different origin on plant development. In total, eight different HS were used; four were extracted from various materials and four were commercially available products. To evaluate the stimulating effect, three different species of plants were used (Triticum aestivum, Sinapis alba, Lepidum sativum). The tests were carried out on Phytotestkit plates, germinating the seeds in different solutions of HS in various concentrations in dark, with or without added nutrient solution. Then, the growth parameters were measured. All tested products showed increase in at least some concentrations compared with the control sample. Significant differences in the stimulating effect of HS depending on their origin were found.