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. 2022 Jul 20;11(7):1086.
doi: 10.3390/biology11071086.

Biostimulant Capacity of Chlorella and Chlamydopodium Species Produced Using Wastewater and Centrate

Ainoa Morillas-España  1   2 , Ángela Ruiz-Nieto  1 , Tomás Lafarga  1   2 , Gabriel Acién  1   2 , Zouhayr Arbib  3 , Cynthia V González-López  1   4
Affiliations

Biostimulant Capacity of Chlorella and Chlamydopodium Species Produced Using Wastewater and Centrate

Ainoa Morillas-España et al. Biology (Basel). .

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess the potential of producing four microalgal strains using secondary-treated urban wastewater supplemented with centrate, and to evaluate the biostimulant effects of several microalgal extracts obtained using water and sonication. Four strains were studied: Chlorella vulgaris UAL-1, Chlorella sp. UAL-2, Chlorella vulgaris UAL-3, and Chlamydopodium fusiforme UAL-4. The highest biomass productivity was found for C. fusiforme, with a value of 0.38 ± 0.01 g·L-1·day-1. C. vulgaris UAL-1 achieved a biomass productivity of 0.31 ± 0.03 g·L-1·day-1 (the highest for the Chlorella genus), while the N-NH4+, N-NO3-, and P-PO43- removal capacities of this strain were 51.9 ± 2.4, 0.8 ± 0.1, and 5.7 ± 0.3 mg·L-1·day-1, respectively. C. vulgaris UAL-1 showed the greatest potential for use as a biostimulant-when used at a concentration of 0.1 g·L-1, it increased the germination index of watercress seeds by 3.5%. At concentrations of 0.5 and 2.0 g·L-1, the biomass from this microalga promoted adventitious root formation in soybean seeds by 220% and 493%, respectively. The cucumber expansion test suggested a cytokinin-like effect from C. vulgaris UAL-1; it was also the only strain that promoted the formation of chlorophylls in wheat leaves. Overall, the results of the present study suggest the potential of producing C. vulgaris UAL-1 using centrate and wastewater as well as the potential utilisation of its biomass to develop high-value biostimulants.

Keywords: auxins; biomass; biostimulants; gibberellins; microalgae; wastewater.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effect of the culture media on (A) biomass productivity and (B) maximum quantum yield of the PSII chemistry. Values represent the mean values ± SD. Different letters indicate significant differences (p < 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Concentration and daily removal of (A) N-NH4+, (B) N-NO3−, and (C) P-PO43−, along with the mass balance of (D) nitrogen and (E) phosphorus. Values represent the mean values ± SD.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect of the microalgal extracts on the germination index of watercress seeds. Values represent the percentage of variation with respect to the control (distilled water). Values represent the mean values ± SD. Different letters indicate significant differences (p < 0.05).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effect of the microalgal extracts on the formation of adventitious roots. Values represent the percentage of variation with respect to the control (distilled water). Values represent the mean values ± SD. Different letters indicate significant differences (p < 0.05).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Effect of the microalgal extracts on the weight of cucumber cotyledons. Values represent the percentage of variation with respect to the control (distilled water). Values represent the mean values ± SD. Different letters indicate significant differences (p < 0.05).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Effect of the microalgal extracts on the chlorophyll content of the detached wheat leaves. Values represent the percentage of variation in the ABS645/100 mg ratio with respect to the control (distilled water). Values represent the mean values ± SD. Different letters indicate significant differences (p < 0.05).
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