Water deficit is a major growth limitation factor affecting plant growth and productivity. To counteract the harmful effects of drought stress, lupine plants were sprayed with two concentrations of algae extract (1 g L-1 and 2 g L-1) and hydrogen peroxide solution (0.5% and 1%) under low irrigation level. Morphological, physiological and anatomical studies were performed. It was found that all treatments enhanced plant height, root length, number of leaves, average leaf area, shoot and root fresh and dry weights. A significant increment in chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids and total pigments contents, as well as a significant decrease in electrolyte leakage was noted in treated plants compared with untreated under water deficit. Increment in levels of osmoprotectants such as proline, total free amino acids, glycine betaine and total soluble sugars contents was highly significant in case of 2 g L-1 algae extract treatment compared with untreated plants group. Anatomical studies of root, stem and leaf of treated and untreated plants revealed that 2 g L-1 algae extract treatment followed with 0.5% H2O2 induced significant increments in the thickness of the studied plant organs compared with the untreated plants under water deficit conditions. In general, the concentrations of 2 g L-1 algae extract and 0.5% H2O2 were the most effective doses regarding all the studied characteristics.

Egyptian henbane (Hyoscyamus muticus L.) plants are rich sources of alkaloids used in pharmaceutical products. Recently, rising efforts have been devoted to reducing mineral fertilizer supply, production cost, and environmental pollution via decreasing the doses of nitrogenous fertilizers and adopting biofertilizer farming systems. Two field experiments were conducted to examine the potential role of N fixing bacteria Azotobacter spp. and Azospirillum spp. on the growth, mineral status, tropane alkaloids, leaf anatomy, and seed yield of Egyptian henbane grown with different levels of mineral nitrogen fertilizer, i.e., 25%, 50%, and 100% of the recommended dose, equal to 30, 60, and 120 kg N ha−1. N fertilizer improved growth, mineral elements, tropane alkaloids, seed yield, and yield components of Egyptian henbane, which showed a gradually rising trend as the rate of N fertilizer increased. High doses of N fertilizer presumably elicited favorable changes in the anatomical structure of Egyptian henbane leaves. The application of 50% N dose plus N fixing bacteria affected Egyptian henbane trials similarly to 100% of recommended N dose. In conclusion, the N fixing bacteria proved to be a sustainable tool for a two-fold reduction in the recommended dose of mineral N fertilizer and the sustainable management of Egyptian henbane nutrition.

A pot experiment was performed in the green house of Agricultural Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt during the winter seasons of 2019 and 2020 to investigate the effect of exogenous application of ascorbic acid (AsA) and putrescine (Put) in ameliorating the growth parameters of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plant under saline conditions (9.3 and 14 dS m-1). Two concentrations of either AsA (100 and 300 ppm) or Put (100 and 200 ppm) were foliar-sprayed individually or in combination with both salt concentrations. Vegetative, yield, and anatomical characters, leaf photosynthetic pigments, and grain crude protein declined in response to stress, while electrolyte leakage (EL), proline, glycine betaine (GB), total carbohydrates and antioxidant enzymes increased under same conditions. The maximum increments in vegetative characters were notable at concentrations of either AsA at 300 ppm or Put at 100 ppm. Yield characters were enhanced at 300 ppm AsA and both concentrations of Put. Improvement in anatomical features of leaf and stem was achieved with the combination of either AsA at 300 ppm or Put at 100 ppm with salinity at 14 dS m-1. AsA was more effective in enhancing photosynthetic pigments and crude protein individually or in combination with salinity. Combinations of either AsA or Put with salinity induced decrements in EL, GB and antioxidant enzymes and increments in proline and total carbohydrates. In conclusion, foliar application of AsA and Put could be considered an eco-friendly approach to alleviate the adverse effects of salinity on morphological and physiological characters of barley.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth and productivity of quinoa grown under drought stress through using growth regulator, retardant and bio stimulant. The experiment was carried out at Agricultural Research and Experimental Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egyp t during two winter successive growing seasons of 2019 and 2020.The horizontal plots were devoted to two irrigation regimes [well water (80% filed capacity) and drought stress (40% filed capacity)]. The vertical plots were allocated to drought alleviating materials (salicylic acid, paclobutrazol and algae extract) in addition to control treatment (tap water). The results revealed that exogenous application of drought alleviating materials significantly enhanced growth parameters, inflorescence length, No. inflorescences plant -1 , No. seeds plant -1 , 1000-seed weight and seed yield ha -1 compared with untreated treatment. In addition, spraying plants with salicylic acid, paclobutrazol and algae extract at 40% field capacity (FC) exhibited a significant increase in growth and chemical characters compared with untreated plants. Foliar spray with 100 ppm salicylic acid caused positive changes in growth, yield and anatomical structure of stem and leaves of quinoa. Also, spraying plants with the aforementioned materials increased almost all macro and microelements, besides total carbohydrate percentage and crude protein in seeds. Analysis of amino acids in quinoa seeds using Amino Acid Analyzer discovered higher concentration in phenylalanine, leucine and lysine. As we ll as fatty acids was analysis detected higher percentages in linoleic.

The present investigation was conducted at the Faculty of Agric. Cairo Univ. Giza, Egypt during the two successive seasons of 2012 and 2013 to study the effect of foliar application of yeast natural extract at 2, 4, 8 and 12 g/L on the growth, flowering, yield and certain anatomical structure of marigold stem and leaf. Results indicated that all studied traits of growth, flowering and yield well improved due to yeast extract application at the levels of 2, 4 and 8 g/L, whereas decreased at 12 g/L. The maximum increment was detected at 4 g/L due to its positive effect on the anatomical structure of stem and leaf.