The plant stimulant humic acid extracted from organic waste recycled by composting combined with liming and fertilization

Abstract

The disposal of organic waste can be an environmental problem; on the other hand, this waste can be the raw material for the production of biostimulants, among other recycling processes. The objective of this study was to recycle waste bovine manure and poultry litter through composting and isolate its humic acids in order to test their use, in the presence and absence of liming and fertilization, on corn plants as indicators. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with four replications. The experimental unit was a vase of 1 dm3 filled with soil that received treatments generated by the combination of the factors under study: humic acids via seed, liming, and fertilization. After thirty days of the experiment, growth characteristics were measured to estimate the initial performance of the indicator corn plants in response to the treatments. The results showed that the combination of chemical fertilization with humic acids extracted from organic compounds increased the plants development. In conclusion, the use of biostimulants based on humic substances is positive and complementary to fertilizers used in agriculture, forming a superior combination. Such use is also recommended because it allows for the recycling of organic waste via composting, as well as the preparation of biostimulants for added technical, and potentially economic, value.