Fibers of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica as substrate for germination of lentil seeds

Concern regarding the environment is increasing day by day. Industrialized countries are aware of the problem that waste creates and are focusing efforts toward solving it by recycling and reusing different kinds of waste. Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass species endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, which creates tons of fiber waste that accumulates along the shoreline. This work demonstrates the feasibility of obtaining substrates for plants from P. oceanica fibers. We analyze the fiber structure by scanning electron microscopy, and observe the germination rate and the average germination time for lentils seeded on Posidonia substrates in comparison to those seeded on cotton. Two different lengths of Posidonia fiber are studied, as well as the influence of desizing and bleaching. The values for gemination rate and germination time showed comparable or even better results than cotton, allowing us to conclude that Posidonia substrates can be used for agricultural purposes. These results offer a new application for the valorization of waste from the Mediterranean coast by reusing the Posidonia fibers. Moreover, when the fibers are bound together by means of a biopolymer, chitosan, the results show that the germination rate is higher than without chitosan treatment, and the average germination time is reduced by approximately 1 day. Thus, we can conclude that the germination process is faster and more effective.