USE OF BIOFERTILIZANT BASED ON COLLAGEN HYDROLYSATE FOR CEREAL SEED TREATMENT

Abstract

Sowing seeds of cereals (wheat, barley, rye, oats) in drought soil results in a low emergence rate of sprouts, mainly by low moist content of soil. Using collagen hydrolysate solution resulting from leather industry by-products for treatment of cereal seeds increases germination rate and energy of germination rate. To be effective, the seed treatment must ensure enough moisture at seed surface and must not dissolve into soil solution. This paper aims at presenting new collagen-based materials for cereal seed treatment, which generates an increase of the quality indicators for treated seeds. Creation of a new and advanced technology for treatment of cereal seeds, by using collagen hydrolysate, has the objectives of increasing seed quality indexes; achieving a better management of water resources during germination processes, while preserving the environment. The technologies developed for protein raw material processing and characteristics of collagen hydrolysates with bioactive properties are presented. The obtained collagen hydrolysates were analyzed in terms of average molecular weights by electrophoresis, and in terms of particle size by DLS (Dynamic Light Scattering) using a Zeta Sizer device and the amino acid composition of collagen hydrolysates, determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The cereal seeds treated with collagen hydrolysates have been analyzed using a special high-resolution tomography device in order to observe the morphological modification of seeds in germination process and an HPLC device was used for chemical modification in seed composition during germination process. High levels of Gibberellic Acid content have been observed on the seeds treated with collagen hydrolysate in comparison with untreated seeds during germination process. High biomass of cereal seedling has been measured for seeds treated with collagen hydrolysate in comparison with untreated seeds.