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Water shortage and salinity are major challenges for sustaining global food security. Using nutrients in the nano-scale formulation including zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NP) is a novel fertilization strategy for crops. In this study, two field-based trials were conducted during 2018 and 2019 to examine the influence of three ZnO NP concentrations (0, 50, and 100 ppm) in eggplant grown under full irrigation (100 of crop evapotranspiration; ETc) and drought stress (60% of ETc). Plant growth, yield, water productivity (WP), physiology, biochemistry, and anatomy responses were evaluated. Drought stress significantly decreased membrane stability index (MSI), relative water content (RWC), and photosynthetic efficiency, thus hampered eggplant growth and yield. In contrast, exogenous ZnO NP to water-stressed eggplant resulted in increased RWC and MSI associated with improved stem and leaf anatomical structures and enhanced photosynthetic efficiency. Under drought stress, supplementation of 50 and 100 ppm ZnO NP improved growth characteristics and increased fruit yield by 12.2% and 22.6%, respectively, compared with fully irrigated plants and nonapplied ZnO NP. The highest water productivity (WP) was obtained when eggplant was irrigated with 60% ETc and foliarly treated with 50 or 100 ppm of ZnO NP, which led to 50.8–66.1% increases in WP when compared with nontreated fully irrigated plants. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that foliar spraying ZnO NP gives the utility for alleviating drought stress effects on eggplant cultivated in saline soil.

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Purpose The effect of a novel organo-mineral fertilizer (OMF) compost, as a partial alternative to mineral fertilizers, on soil characteristics, growth, physio-biochemical attributes, Cd 2? and NO 3 -concentrations, and yields of Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants grown under salt stress was investigated. Methods Six organic and mineral materials were well mixed with water and composted in a polyvinyl house in a concrete trench of size 4 9 5 9 2 m (W 9 L 9 D), respectively. The moisture content was maintained at 50-60% throughout the active composting period by frequent checking. The mixture was turned at 7-day intervals for about 2 months to maintain porosity. This OMF compost was applied for the tested saline soil at 10, 20 and 30 ton ha -1 while reducing the recommended NPK to 50%. In addition,100% NPK was applied as a control to achieve the purpose of this study. Growth characteristics, quantitative and qualitative yield, Cd 2? and NO 3 -concentrations, and physio-biochemical attributes in common bean plants were assessed. Results Addition of OMF compost improved the soil chemical and physical properties. Application of OMF compost at a rate of 20 ton h -1 , as an alternative to 50% of the recommended dose of mineral-NPK fertilizers, significantly decreased the concentrations of Cd 2? and NO 3 -in plant leaves, pods and seeds, showing the same growth characteristics, and pod and seed yields compared to the control (100% of mineral-NPK fertilizers). This treatment also improved all determined physio-biochemical attributes and tested soil characteristics compared to the control. Conclusion The benefit of this OMF compost, as a partial alternative to chemical fertilizers, demonstrated the validity and possibility of sustainable agronomic performance of common bean using locally available recycled organic materials for manufacturing the studied OMF.