Use of different types of extracts as biostimulators in organic agriculture

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the analysis of extracts obtained from: Thymus serpyllum L., Urtica dioica L., Equisetum arvense L. and Achillea millefolium L. Extracts were subjected to the following analyses: determination of total phenols, total flavonoids and anthocyanins, and refractometric determination of soluble solids. The results showed that the content of flavonoids was 0.4710 mg/ml in Urtica dioicа extract, 0.3950 mg/ml in Equisetum arvense extract, 0.2997 mg/ml in Thymus serpyllum extract and 0.1556 mg/ml in Achillea millefolium extract. The highest content of phenolic compounds was found in Thymus serpyllum extract (2.3583 mg/ml), followed by Equisetum arvense (2.2724 mg/ml) and Urtica dioicа extract (2.1374 mg/ml), and the lowest in Achillea millefolium (1.8061 mg/ml). The content of anthocyanins was highest in Urtica dioicа extract (3.966mg/l), followed by Thymus serpyllum (3.715mg/l) and Equisetum arvense (3.549mg/l) extracts, and lowest in Achillea millefolium extract (0.0835mg/l). The soluble solids content was highest in Urtica dioicа and Equisetum arvense (2 BRIX% at 20oC), followed by Thymus serpyllum (1.5 BRIX% at 20oC), and lowest in Achillea millefolium (1 BRIX% at 20oC). The results showed that extracts obtained by maceration contained bioactive components; this study, therefore, provides a basis for further and deeper research on the use of these extracts as potential biostimulators in organic agriculture.