Dr. Hiarhi Monda

Education: 

• PhD, Improvement and Management of Agro-Forestry Resources, University of Naples, Italy  
• MS, Agro-Biotechnology, University of Naples, Italy  

Work History: 

• Bio Huma Netics (2018) 
• Visiting Scientist, JKI institute in Braunschweig, Germany (2014) 

 

I’m from Italy and currently living in Gilbert, Arizona. My research field is focused on the study and application of biostimulants in sustainable agriculture to reduce the impact of agrochemicals and the footprint of mineral fertilization. I’ve been focused on recycled biomasses as a source of convenient organic matter and humic acids to implement agricultural practices and costs (ROI). As a member of the International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) I’ve been recognized for innovative research with a prestigious Italian Chapter Award. The combination of organic matter and plant growth microorganisms has been part of a European project I’ve been involved in by collaborating with international research groups. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) study is my actual research line where the advanced analytical characterization of the final products is an essential step to correlate and understand plant physiological response. My scientific outcomes have been published in peer-review journals and disseminated in national and international conferences related to humic substances, soil biochemistry, biostimulants, and plant physiology. My current projects involve U.S. patent development of new fertilizer products as well as scientific collaborations with the National High Magnetic Field facility (MAG Lab) at Florida State University, the Iowa USDA-ARS department, and the University of Arizona. 

• Lamar, R. T., & Monda, H. (2022). Quantification of Humic and Fulvic Acids in Humate Ores, DOC, Humified Materials and Humic Substance-Containing Commercial Products. JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments), (181), e61233.
  Click here to view the video. 

 

• Monda, H., McKenna, A. M., Fountain, R., & Lamar, R. T. (2021). Bioactivity of humic acids extracted from shale ore: Molecular characterization and structure-activity relationship with tomato plant yield under nutritional stress. Frontiers in Plant Science, 958. 

 

• Cozzolino, V., Monda, H., Savy, D., Di Meo, V., Vinci, G., & Smalla, K. (2021). Cooperation among phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, humic acids and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi induces soil microbiome shifts and enhances plant nutrient uptake. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 8(1), 1-18. 

 

• Monda, H., Cozzolino, V., Vinci, G., Drosos, M., Savy, D., & Piccolo, A. (2018). Molecular composition of the Humeome extracted from different green composts and their biostimulation on early growth of maize. Plant and Soil, 429, 407-424. 

 

• Vinci, G., Cozzolino, V., Mazzei, P., Monda, H., Spaccini, R., & Piccolo, A. (2018). An alternative to mineral phosphorus fertilizers: The combined effects of Trichoderma harzianum and compost on Zea mays, as revealed by 1H NMR and GC-MS metabolomics. PloS one, 13(12), e0209664. 

 

• Li, M., Cozzolino, V., Mazzei, P., Drosos, M., Monda, H., Hu, Z., & Piccolo, A. (2018). Effects of microbial bioeffectors and P amendements on P forms in a maize cropped soil as evaluated by 31 P–NMR spectroscopy. Plant and Soil, 427, 87-104. 

 

• Vinci, G., Cozzolino, V., Mazzei, P., Monda, H., Savy, D., Drosos, M., & Piccolo, A. (2018). Effects of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and different phosphorus sources on Maize plants as revealed by NMR and GC-MS based metabolomics. Plant and Soil, 429, 437-450. 

 

• Monda, H., Cozzolino, V., Vinci, G., Spaccini, R., & Piccolo, A. (2017). Molecular characteristics of water-extractable organic matter from different composted biomasses and their effects on seed germination and early growth of maize. Science of the Total Environment, 590, 40-49. 

 

• Cozzolino, V., Di Meo, V., Monda, H., Spaccini, R., & Piccolo, A. (2016). The molecular characteristics of compost affect plant growth, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and soil microbial community composition. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 52, 15-29. 

 

• Monda, H. (2016). BIO-EFFECTORS: Reducing the impact of mineral fertilizers in agriculture by application of microbial and humidified products” 

 

• Li, M., Mazzei, P., Cozzolino, V., Monda, H., Hu, Z., & Piccolo, A. (2015). Optimized procedure for the determination of P species in soil by liquid-state 31 P-NMR spectroscopy. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 2, 1-7.