FIGURE 2.

Dynamic development of wheat leaf area dependent on nutrient source mineral fertilizer or algal biomass. Estimated leaf area was calculated by conversion using the relationship shown in Supplementary Figure S1. Leaf area growth over time exhibited an exponential and a linear phase, separated by a line. Plants were grown in controlled conditions in the following substrates: soil 1 (triangles); soil 2 (crosses); or soil 2 with addition of: mineral fertilizer (squares), dried algae biomass (circles) or wet algae biomass (green diamonds) in high (filled forms) amounts. Depicted are means per nutrient sources (n = 10 per time point (mineral fertilizer with n = 8), error bars represent SE. Statistical differences were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison of means test post hoc test both compared between days (top of the figure) and between growth slopes based on individual growth curves (see Table 2). Different letters indicate significant differences with p < 0.05. Equations are fitted to growth curves per phase and their p-values (Table 2).