Strategic implementation of vermicompost as safe biofertilizer besides defensing saline soils offer dual function solving problems in developing countries. The current study aims to utilize vermicompost (VC) for amelioration of 200mM NaCl in Vicia faba Aspani cultivar and investigate the molecular role of salt overly sensitive pathway (SOS1). The experiment was conducted following a completely randomized design with three replicates. Treatments include 0; 2.5; 5; 10; 15% dried VC intermingled with soil mixture (clay: sand; 1:2) and/or 200 mM NaCl. The results show that salinity stress decreased broad bean fresh and dry weight; and K+/Na+. However, malonedialdehyde and H2O2 contents; increased. Application of 10% VC and salinity stress increases Ca2+ (41% and 50%), K+/Na+ (125% and 89%), Mg2+ (25% and 36%), N (8% and 11%), indole acetic acid (70% and 152%) and proteins (9% and 13%) for root and shoot, respectively, in comparison to salt treated pots. Moreover, all examined enzymatic antioxidants and their substrates increased, except glutathione reductase. A parallel decrease in abscisic acid (75% and 29%) and proline (59% and 58%) was also recorded for roots and leaves, respectively. Interestingly, the highly significant increase in gene expression of SOS1 (45-fold) could drive defense machinery of broad bean to counteract 200 mM NaCl.

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Crop production and growth are severely affected by salt stress. Nevertheless, the bio-fertilizer vermicompost (VC) can be participated as a potent inhibitor of salinity on plant growth and crop production by regulating photosynthetic efficiency. We investigated the effect of VC on photosynthetic performance of salt-stressed broad bean (Vicia faba L. Aspani cultivar). Seeds were grown in soil mixture; clay and sand in ratio 1:2 by volume with five different volumetric ratios of VC; 0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 15% irrigated with either water and/or 200 mM NaCl. Leaf area, Na and K contents, chlorophylls, photosystem II efficiency, Rubisco content, soluble sugars, chloroplasts’ organization and proteomics were analyzed. The imposed stress decrease leaf area, chlorophyll contents, maximum quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm), Rubisco content, increase soluble sugars and damage chloroplasts organization. Salinity upregulated glucose-1-phosphate adenylyl transferase, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large subunit and chloroplastic peptidyl-prolyl cis–trans isomerase. The increased leaf area, chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids, maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II, Rubisco content, improving the degeneration of thylakoid lamellae and lessening plastoglobuli number in thylakoid membranes are the major benefits attained with vermicompost treatments under salt stress.Analysis of proteomic revealed that VC upregulated chloroplastic ferredoxin–NADP reductase, plastocyanin, polyphenol oxidase, peptidyl-prolyl cis–trans isomerase, alpha-glucan phosphorylase H isozyme and maturase expression under salt stress. The results suggest that VC controls protein expression at the level of transcriptional and translational which may conserve photosynthetic components and prevent salt-induced harmful effects in broad bean plants.

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A RBUSCULAR mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are fungi that form symbiotic relationships with the roots of higher plants. AMF can potentially be applied to enhance plant tolerance to stress and thus minimize the deleterious effects of abiotic stress. Deficiencies in phosphorus, an essential macronutrient for plants, can have negative effects. Our target was to determine the mitigation effect of local AMF inoculum on the growth and metabolic activity of Zea mays at different phosphorus levels (from 0 to 120mg P kg −1 soil). Phosphorus deficiency disturbed physiological performance; however, AMF mitigated associated negative effects, enhanced dry weight significantly (P< 0.05), and increased P and alkaline phosphatase levels in calcareous soil compared with non-inoculated controls. The maximum H + -ATPase activity was 28.13µmoL Pi −1 ng P −1 min in the leaves of Z. mays in AMF-inoculated soil treated with 60mg P kg −1 soil. AMF enhanced the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase together with their substrates glutathione and ascorbic acid, with concurrent reductions in lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide content. The highest mycorrhizal colonization (88%) was recorded in maize grown with 60 mg P kg −1 soil. Established data on morphological characteristics revealed that the local AMF isolates contained four native spores related to the genera Glomus, Acaulospora, Scutellospora, and Entrophospora. Analysis of genetic material confirmed that the spores were related to Glomus mosseae and Acaulospora spinose. These findings demonstrate that root colonization via local AMF inoculum could ameliorate phosphorus deficiency in calcareous soils from the northwestern coast of Egypt.