The study investigates the effects of seed inoculation with Rizoline-r and foliar application of KALNINI on the growth, physiological parameters, and yield of soybean (Glycine max L.) grown under organic-mimicking conditions. The objective was to enhance nitrogen fixation, photosynthetic efficiency, and yield performance in sustainable farming systems without synthetic inputs. A full-factorial randomized pot experiment was conducted using three soybean varieties (Laulema, Paradis, Tiguan), seed inoculation (3 L t⁻¹ Rizoline-r), and foliar application of 1% KALNINI at the third trifoliate and full flowering stages. The experiment simulated organic production by excluding synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. Results showed that seed inoculation increased plant height by 6.1% and biomass accumulation by 11.0%, while foliar treatment significantly enhanced leaf area index by 28.6% and chlorophyll content by 14.5%. The combined application of both treatments demonstrated a synergistic effect, resulting in the greatest improvements in all traits assessed. Notably, pod formation increased by 34.3%, and seed yield rose by 15.9% compared to the untreated control. These physiological and agronomic enhancements suggest improved plant metabolism, nitrogen uptake, and stress tolerance. The findings underline the potential of integrating microbial inoculants and foliar biostimulants into organic-compatible cropping systems. Such strategies can reduce dependency on synthetic agrochemicals while improving productivity and sustainability. Further research under diverse environmental and soil conditions is recommended to confirm the consistency and adaptability of these results and to develop region-specific treatment protocols suitable for wide adoption in low-input agriculture.

This study aimed to identify the effects of sodium humate (NaHum) on the growth performance of broiler chickens and selected blood and ileum microbiota parameters.

Modern agriculture is increasingly reliant on imported fertilizers and subject to price volatility, compounded by environmental pressures arising from the overuse of synthetic fertilizers. This study assessed the impact of Furcellaria lumbricalis algal biostimulant, produced by anaerobic fermentation, on dry matter yield and plant development indicators of garden radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus) in five soil substrate types. Biostimulant doses aimed at reducing mineral fertilizer application to 75% of the full rate while maintaining or improving yield were evaluated; yet no statistically significant effect on dry matter yield was observed, and the hypothesis was therefore not statistically confirmed. The experiment included five substrate types (sandy clay, sandy clay with organic matter, sand, sand with organic matter, and peat) and six fertilizer/biostimulant treatments, including 75% mineral fertilizer combined with 3%, 6%, and 12% algal biostimulant concentrations. Linear mixed models showed that substrate type (F = 19.58; p < 0.001) and fertilizer variant (F = 5.00; p < 0.001) had statistically significant effects on total dry matter yield, but their interaction was not statistically significant. All 75% and 100% mineral fertilizer variants with and without biostimulant produced statistically significantly higher yields than the unfertilized control (p = 0.0016–0.0337). The leaf development indicator (AtLeaf) index was statistically significantly higher in all biostimulant variants compared to the unfertilized control. Principal component analysis (PCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) demonstrated that substrate type determines the primary structure of the substrate–plant system, while biostimulant effects were expressed as modulation of existing processes within the substrates. The results indicate substrate-specific responses to Baltic Sea algal Furcellaria lumbricalis digestate with statistically significant effect observed only in peat, consistent with previous findings, while no significant effects were detected in other substrates. Although the effects of the biostimulant on dry matter yield were not consistently statistically significant, the observed trends in plant development indicators and substrate–plant system responses suggest that Furcellaria lumbricalis digestate may have potential as a nutrient recycling component within a circular bioeconomy framework.

Resource-efficient conversion of biomass and organic residues into humic substances represents an important pathway for waste valorization within the circular bioeconomy. This review systematizes feedstock sources for humic substance extraction and compares their characteristics, sustainability, processing requirements, and assessment approaches. The scientific literature was analyzed together with regulatory and statistical sources relevant to feedstock classification and resource availability. The review synthesized evidence from 156 sources and shows that humic substance potential cannot be evaluated from resource volume or origin alone; it also depends on humification, organic-matter stability, physicochemical composition, contamination risks, and extraction technology. Primary resources such as peat and sapropel provide naturally humified fractions but are constrained by slow regeneration and environmental considerations. Secondary resources, including agricultural and forestry residues, fresh manure, and food waste, require flow- and coefficient-based assessment and may undergo further processing or stabilization. Tertiary resources, such as compost, digestate, treated sewage sludge, and processed or stabilized manure, are evaluated by linking material flows with quality, humification, safety, and recovery-yield indicators. For selected feedstocks, reported humic-substance content varied substantially, ranging from 2–20% dry matter in sapropel and 15–40% dry matter in peat, with different source-specific ranges reported for other organic materials. Because these values also depend on the analytical and extraction procedures applied, they should not be interpreted as directly comparable without harmonized analytical and reporting criteria. The quantitative assessment framework distinguishes theoretical, technical, and sustainably available resource potential and incorporates residue-to-product ratios, availability coefficients, material composition, and humic-substance content or recovery factors. The proposed differentiated framework supports more consistent comparison of renewable and waste-derived feedstocks and provides a methodological basis for assessing resource suitability, while highlighting the need for standardized analytical procedures, uncertainty assessment, contaminant-fate evaluation, and validation using regional or national case studies.