Raw and Fermented Alfalfa Brown Juice Induces Changes in the Germination and Development of French Marigold (Tagetes patula L.) Plants

Abstract

Organic and ecological farming programs require new and efficient biostimulants with beneficial properties for the sustainable and safe production of seedlings and ornamental plants. We examined the effect of non-fermented and lacto-fermented alfalfa brown juice (BJ) on seed germination and the vegetative, physiological, and anatomical properties of French marigold (Tagetes patula L. ‘Csemő’) plants which were treated with 0.5–10% fermented and non-fermented BJ, with tap water applied as a control. Applying 0.5% fermented BJ significantly improved seed germination compared with non-fermented BJ, resulting in an increase of 9.6, 11.2, 10.9, and 41.7% in the final germination percent, germination rate index, germination index, and vigor index, respectively. In addition, it increased the root and shoot length by 7.9 and 16.1%, respectively, root and shoot dry mass by 20 and 47.6%, respectively, and the number of leaves by 28.8% compared to the control. Furthermore, an increase in contents of water-soluble phenol, chlorophyll a and b, and carotenoid was reported upon the application of 0.5% fermented BJ, while peroxidase activity decreased. Our results prove that alfalfa BJ can be enrolled as a biostimulant as part of the circular farming approach which supports the sustainable horticultural practice.

Protein Fractionation of Leafy Green Biomass at the Pilot Scale: Partitioning and Type of Nitrogen in the Fractions and Their Usefulness for Food and Feed

“…GJ can be used for biofuel production, or as a source of active compounds for skin care products . BJ can be used to produce dietary fiber for feed, as a sugar source for PHA production biofuel , or as a biostimulant for plants. , Thus, there are several possibilities for valorizing all the fractions.…”

“…72 BJ can be used to produce dietary fiber for feed, 46 as a sugar source for PHA production 73 biofuel 74,75 or as a biostimulant for plants. 76,77 Thus, there are several possibilities for valorizing all the fractions. The results of this study clearly showed the large potential of using green leafy biomass in a protein fractionation process to produce food and feed.…”

Plant-Based Biostimulants for Seeds in the Context of Circular Economy and Sustainability

“…Another example includes the application of Cuscuta reflexa extract (CRE) on wheat seeds, which at low doses, was able to mitigate the adverse effects of water stress on seed germination parameters by stimulating the activity of multiple enzymes (proteases, amylases, glucosidase) [69]. Additionally, the application of raw and fermented alfalfa (Medicago sativa) brown juice on French marigold (Tagetes patula) seeds also resulted in improved germination and seedling growth [70]. Other aqueous extracts that have been tested on different plants confirmed multiple times the positive effects of these types of seed treatments on improving germination performance.…”

Bioactive metabolite profile and antioxidant properties of brown juice, a processed alfalfa (Medicago sativa) by-product

“…BJ can be used in various ways, including L-lysine production ( Thomsen et al., 2004 ), methane production through anaerobic digestion ( Martinez et al., 2018 ; Santamaría-Fernández et al., 2018 ), or as a medium for microbes ( Thomsen, 2005 ; Thomsen and Kiel, 2008 ; Weimer and Digman, 2013 ). Studies have shown the potential of alfalfa BJ in plant nutrition as fertilizer ( Reddy et al., 1987 ) or biostimulant ( Barna et al., 2021 ), which implies the presence of phytohormones and other bioactive compounds in addition to the already identified components.…”