title: Molecular characteristics of water-extractable organic matter from different composted biomasses and their effects on seed germination and early growth of maize.
abstract: Four water extractable organic matter (WEOM) were obtained from composts made out of residues of: 1. artichoke (C-CYN), 2. artichoke/fennel (C-CYNF), 3. tomato/woodchips (C-TOM), 4. Municipal solid waste (C-MSW), and their bioactivity was tested for maize seed germination and maize seedling growth. The molecular properties of both original composts and their WEOM were characterized by spectroscopic (13C-CPMAS- and1H NMR, FTIR-ATR), thermochemolysis-GC/MS, and thermal methods (TGA, DSC). While all WEOM had significant effects on plant growth, CYN-WEOM was the only material that concomitantly increased germination rate and primary and lateral root length of maize seedlings. The lignin-rich WEOM from green composts were generally more effective than those obtained from equally hydrophobic, but mainly alkyl-rich municipal organic wastes. A flexible conformational structure, due to the balanced content of aromatic compounds and carbohydrates, appeared to facilitate the release of bioactive molecules from WEOM suprastructures and stimulate plant growth.
authors.affiliation: 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. Electronic address: hiarhi.monda@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Hiarhi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Monda
authors.affiliation: 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. Electronic address: vincenza.cozzolino@unina.it.
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cozzolino
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vinci
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spaccini
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piccolo
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D000076282:Composting; D018525:Germination; D012639:Seeds / Q000502:physiology*; D012987:Soil; D014867:Water; D003313:Zea mays / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water
keywords: (1)H NMR; (13)CPMAS NMR; Biostimulants; Composting; Natural organic matter; Thermochemolysis-GC/MS