Effect of fulvic acid on the growth of hydroponic pea (Pisum sativum L.) microgreens
Keywords:
humic substance, legume, soilless, biostimulants
Abstract
Fulvic acid is a widely recognized biostimulant due to its benefits in traditional crops; however, its application in hydroponic systems, particularly in microgreen production, is not well documented. This study evaluated the effect of fulvic acid on the growth of hydroponic pea microgreens (Pisum sativum L.). The experimental design was completely randomized and consisted of four treatments (n=5): nutrient solution (NS), fulvic acid solution 0.01 % (FA), NS + FA, and water (control). After 12 days, growth and biochemical parameters were measured. The results showed that NS and NS+FA treatments significantly increased stem length (7.73 cm and 7.28 cm), fresh weight (0.613 g and 0.618 g), and yield (6.15 kg.m-2) compared to the FA treatment or control. The FA treatment increased stem diameter (2.38 mm) but did not significantly increase biomass. Biochemical analysis showed that FA and control had higher nitrate content, while NS and NS+FA reduced nitrate accumulation. Antioxidant capacity, chlorophyll content, and color index were similar among treatments. However, the pH increased with the application of fulvic acid. Fulvic acid alone moderately improved growth but was less effective than the nutrient solution. The combination of fulvic acid with a complete nutrient solution did not produce additive effects, highlighting the importance of balanced nutrition in hydroponic microgreen production.
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References
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Bell, J.C., Bound, S.A., & Buntain, M. (2022). Biostimulants in agricultural and horticultural production, In I. Warrington (Ed.), Horticultural Reviews, 49, 35–95. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119851981.ch2
Canellas, L.P., Olivares, F.L., Aguiar, N.O., Jones, D.L., Nebbioso, A., Mazzei, P., & Piccolo, A. (2015). Humic and fulvic acids as biostimulants in horticulture. Scientia Horticulturae, 196, 15-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2015.09.013
Choe, U., Yu, L.L., & Wang, T.T (2018). The science behind microgreens as an exciting new food for the 21st century. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 60(31), 7644-7651. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf2057816
Drobek, M., Fraś, A., Molas, J., & Kurasiak-Popowska, D. (2019). Plant biostimulants: Importance of the quality and yield of horticultural crops and the improvement of biological and physiological processes. Folia Horticulturae, 31(2), 139–149. https://doi.org/10.2478/fhort-2019-0012
Ebert, A.W. (2022). Sprouts and microgreens: Novel food sources for healthy diets. Plants, 11(4), 571. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11040571
Gao, Y., Chen, S., Y., & Shi, Y. (2023). Effect of nano-calcium carbonate on morphology, antioxidant enzyme activity and photosynthetic parameters of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 10(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-023-00404-9
Graziani, G., Cirillo, A., Giannini, P., Conti, S., El-Nakhel, C., Rouphael, Y., & Di Vaio, C. (2022). Biostimulants improve plant growth and bioactive compounds of young olive trees under abiotic stress conditions. Agriculture, 12(2), 227. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020227
Hasanuzzaman, M., Parvin, K., Bardhan, K., Nahar, K., Anee, T.I., Masud, A.A.C., & Fotopoulos, V. (2021). Biostimulants for the regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolism in plants under abiotic stress. Cells, 10(10), 2537 https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10102537
He, X., Zhang, H., Ye, X., Hong, J., & Ding, G. (2021). Nitrogen assimilation related genes in Brassica napus: Systematic characterization and expression analysis identified hub genes in multiple nutrient stress responses. Plants, 10(10), 2160. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10102160
Lichtenthaler, H.K., & Wellburn, A.R. (1983). Determinations of total carotenoids and chlorophylls a and b of leaf extracts in different solvents. Biochemical Society Transactions, 11(5), 591-592. https://doi.org/10.1042/bst0110591
Lin, X.Y., Ye, Y.Q., Fan, S.K., Jin, C.W., & Zheng, S.J. (2016). Increased sucrose accumulation regulates iron-deficiency responses by promoting auxin signaling in Arabidopsis plants. Plant Physiology, 170(2), 907-920. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.15.01598
Márquez-García, B., Horemans, N., Cuypers, A., Guisez, Y., & Córdoba, F. (2011). Antioxidants in Erica andevalensis: A comparative study between wild plant and cadmium-exposed plants under controlled conditions. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 49(1), 110-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2010.10.007
Mosaad, I.S., Selim, E.M.M., Gaafar, D.E., & Al-Anoos, M.A. (2024). Effects of humic and fulvic acids on forage production and grain quality of triticale under various soil salinity levels. Cereal Research Communications. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42976-024-00609-0
Muscolo, A., Francioso, O., Tugnoli, V., & Nardi, S. (2007). The auxin-like activity of humic substance is related to membrane interactions in carrot cell cultures. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 33(1), 115-129. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-006-9206-9
Nardi, S., Pizzeghello, D., Muscolo, A., & Vianello, A. (2002). Physiological effects of humic substances on higher plants. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 34(11), 1527-1536. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(02)00174-8
Pizzeghello, D., Nicolini, G., & Nardi, S. (2001). Hormone-like activity of humic substances in Fagus sylvatica forests. New Phyrologits,151(3), 647-657. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0028-646x.2001.00223.x
Rodríguez-Roque, M.K., Rojas-Grau, M.A., Elez-Martínez, P., & Martín-Belloso, O. (2013). Soymilk phenolic compounds, isoflavones, and antioxidant activity as affected by in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Food Chemistry, 136(1), 206-212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.07.115
Rouphael, Y., Colla, G., & De Pascale, S. (2021). Sprouts, microgreens and edible flowers as novel functional foods. Agronomy, 11(12), 2568. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122568
Sano, T., Kutsuna, N., Becker, D., Hedrich, R., & Hasezawa, S. (2009). Outward‐rectifying K+ channel activities regulate cell elongation and cell division of tobacco BY‐2 cells. The Plant Journal, 57(1), 55-64. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-313X.2008.03672.x
Seth, T., Mishra, G.P., Chattopadhyay, A., Roy, P.D., Devi, M., Sahu, A., & Nair, R.M. (2025). Microgreens: Functional food for nutrition and dietary diversification. Plants, 14(4), 526. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14040526
Sharma, S., Shree, B., Sharma, D., Kumar, S., Kumar, V., Sharma, R., & Saini, R. (2022). Vegetable microgreens: The gleam of next generation superfoods, their genetic enhancement, health benefits, and processing approaches. Food Research International, 155, 111038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111038
Tallei, T.E., Kepel, B.J., Wungouw, H.I.S., Nurkolis, F., & Fatimawali, A.A.A. (2024). A Comprehensive review on the antioxidant activities and health benefits of microgreens: current insights and future perspectives. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 59(1), 58-71. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.16805
Verlinden, S. (2020). Microgreens: Definitions, product types, and production practices, In I. Warrington (Ed.), Horticultural Reviews, 47 (pp. 85-124). Wiley Online Library. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119625407.ch3
Toscano, S., Cavallaro, V., Ferrante, A., Romano, D., & Patané, C. (2021). Effects of different light spectra on final biomass production and nutritional quality of two microgreens. Plants, 10(8), 1584. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081584
Wang, K., Li, Y., Zhang, Y., Lou, X., & Sun, J. (2022). Improving myofibrillar proteins solubility and thermostability in low-ionic strength solution: A review. Meat Science, 189, 108822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2022.108822
Xiao, Z., Lester, G.E., Luo, Y., & Wang, Q. (2012). Assessment of vitamin and carotenoid concentrations of emerging food products: edible microgreens. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 60(31),7644-7651. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf2057816
Xiao, Z., Raush, S.T., Luo, Y., Sun, J., Yu, L., Wang, Q., Chen, P., Yu, L., & Stommel J.R. (2019). Microgreens of Brassicaceae: Genetic diversity of phytochemical concentrations and antioxidant capacity. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 101, 731.737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2018.10.076
Zhang, P., Zhang, H., Wu, G., Chen, X., Gruda, N., Li, X., & Duan, Z. (2021). Dose-dependent application of straw-derived fulvic acid on yield and quality of tomato plants grown in a greenhouse. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12, 736613. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.736613
Published
2025-06-30
How to Cite
Gutiérrez , A., Balandrán, M., Yáñez, R., & Hernández, J. (2025). Effect of fulvic acid on the growth of hydroponic pea (Pisum sativum L.) microgreens. Revista De La Facultad De Agronomía De La Universidad Del Zulia, 42(3), e254232. Retrieved from https://mail.produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/agronomia/article/view/44073
Issue
Section
Crop Production
Copyright (c) 2025 Aldo Gutiérrez Chávez, Martha Irma Balandrán Balladarez, Rosa María Yañez Muñoz, Jared Hernández Huerta
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