Differences in Physiological and Biochemical Attributes of Wheat in Response to Single and Combined Salicylic Acid and Biochar Subjected to Limited Water Irrigation in Saline Sodic Soil

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The continuity of traditional planting systems in the last few decades has encountered its most significant challenge in the harsh changes in the global climate, leading to frustration in the plant growth and productivity, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions cultivated with moderate or sensitive crops to abiotic stresses. Faba bean, like most legume crops, is considered a moderately sensitive crop to saline soil and/or saline water. In this connection, a field experiment was conducted during the successive winter seasons 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 in a salt-affected soil to explore the combined effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and potassium (K) silicate on maintaining the soil quality, performance, and productivity of faba bean plants irrigated with either fresh water or saline water. Our findings indicated that the coupled use of PGPR and K silicate under the saline water irrigation treatment had the capability to reduce the levels of exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) in the soil and to promote the activity of some soil enzymes (urease and dehydrogenase), which recorded nearly non-significant differences compared with fresh water (control) treatment, leading to reinstating the soil quality. Consequently, under salinity stress, the combined application motivated the faba bean vegetative growth, e.g., root length and nodulation, which reinstated the K+/Na+ ions homeostasis, leading to the lessening or equalizing of the activity level of enzymatic antioxidants (CAT, POD, and SOD) compared with the controls of both saline water and fresh water treatments, respectively. Although the irrigation with saline water significantly increased the osmolytes concentration (free amino acids and proline) in faba bean plants compared with fresh water treatment, application of PGPR or K-silicate notably reduced the osmolyte levels below the control treatment, either under stress or non-stress conditions. On the contrary, the concentrations of soluble assimilates (total soluble proteins and total soluble sugars) recorded pronounced increases under tested treatments, which enriched the plant growth, the nutrients (N, P, and K) uptake and translocation to the sink organs, which lastly improved the yield attributes (number of pods plant−1, number of seeds pod−1, 100-seed weight). It was concluded that the combined application of PGPR and K-silicate is considered a profitable strategy that is able to alleviate the harmful impact of salt stress alongside increasing plant growth and productivity.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foliar-Applied Potassium Silicate Coupled with Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Improves Growth, Physiology, Nutrient Uptake and Productivity of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Irrigated with Saline Water in Salt-Affected Soil

Hafez

Osman

El-Razek

et al. 2021

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“…Application of biochar augmented K + , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ contents in soil solution while declined Na + content alongside soil pH and EC values resulting in decreased greatly exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) due to biochar’s porous structure, high water holding capacity, large surface area, and negative surface charge that holds more nutrients under soil salinity and water stress conditions [ 35 ]. In the current investigation, the combined application of biochar with glycine betaine decreased greatly the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), soil pH, and EC values while augmented K + , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ contents in soil solution that positively affected soil physicochemical properties causing better plant growth in rice under soil salinity and water stress conditions in both years of the study [ 18 , 36 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biochar is a carbon-rich solid material produced by pyrolyzing biomass (e.g., crop residues) in an oxygen-limited environment [ 17 ]. Biochar application to soils is deemed a sustainable organic additive to sequester carbon from the environment, improved moisture-holding capacity, and enhanced soil health and quality by improving cation exchange capacity organic matter status and soil fertility by nutrient retention and promoting microbial activities in soil [ 18 ]. It has been well-known that biochar addition can decrease nitrous oxide emission and N leaching from rice fields and may consequently increment N absorption.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporated Biochar-Based Soil Amendment and Exogenous Glycine Betaine Foliar Application Ameliorate Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Tolerance and Resilience to Osmotic Stress

Hafez

Gowayed

Nehela

et al. 2021

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Osmotic stress is a major physiologic dysfunction that alters the water movement across the cell membrane. Soil salinity and water stress are major causal factors of osmotic stress that severely affect agricultural productivity and sustainability. Herein, we suggested and evaluated the impact of integrated biochar-based soil amendment and exogenous glycine betaine application on the growth, physiology, productivity, grain quality, and osmotic stress tolerance of rice (Oryza sativa L., cv. Sakha 105) grown in salt-affected soil under three irrigation intervals (6, 9, or 12 days), as well as soil properties and nutrient uptake under field conditions during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Our findings showed that dual application of biochar and glycine betaine (biochar + glycine betaine) reduced the soil pH, electrical conductivity, and exchangeable sodium percentage. However, it enhanced the K+ uptake which increased in the leaves of treated-rice plants. Additionally, biochar and glycine betaine supplementation enhanced the photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids) and physiological attributes (net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, relative water content, and electrolyte leakage) of osmotic-stressed rice plants. Biochar + glycine betaine altered the activity of antioxidant-related enzymes (catalase, ascorbate peroxide, and peroxidase). Moreover, it improved the yield components, biological yield, and harvest index, as well as the nutrient value of rice grains of osmotic-stressed rice plants. Collectively, these findings underline the potential application of biochar and glycine betaine as a sustainable eco-friendly strategy to improve plant resilience, not only rice, but other plant species in general and other cereal crops in particular, to abiotic stress, particularly those growing in salt-affected soil.

“…Around 25% of arable agricultural soils worldwide are affected by salt stress, and an estimated 1.5 million hectares are lost to production each year as a result of salt stress [ 3 ]. Soil salinization has a number of unintended consequences, including a decrease in the ability of plant roots to absorb water and nutrients [ 4 , 5 ], a decrease in morpho-physiological characteristics, and degradation of chlorophylls as a result of hyperosmotic and hyper-ionic effects resulting in oxidative damage [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Drought or deficit irrigation is another major adverse abiotic stress that affects plant development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactive Impacts of Beneficial Microbes and Si-Zn Nanocomposite on Growth and Productivity of Soybean Subjected to Water Deficit under Salt-Affected Soil Conditions

Osman

Gowayed

Elbagory

et al. 2021

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Water stress or soil salinity is considered the major environmental factor affecting plant growth. When both challenges are present, the soil becomes infertile, limiting plant productivity. In this work a field experiment was conducted during the summer 2019 and 2020 seasons to evaluate whether plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPMs) and nanoparticles (Si-ZnNPs) have the potential to maintain soybean growth, productivity, and seed quality under different watering intervals (every 11 (IW0), 15 (IW1) and 19 (IW2) days) in salt-affected soil. The most extended watering intervals (IW1 and IW2) caused significant increases in Na+ content, and oxidative damage indicators (malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolyte leakage (EL%)), which led to significant reductions in soybean relative water content (RWC), stomatal conductance, leaf K+, photosynthetic pigments, soluble protein. Subsequently reduced the vegetative growth (root length, nodules dry weight, and total leaves area) and seeds yield. However, there was an enhancement in the antioxidants defense system (enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant). The individual application of PGPMs or Si-ZnNPs significantly improved leaf K+ content, photosynthetic pigments, RWC, stomatal conductance, total soluble sugars (TSS), CAT, POD, SOD, number of pods plant−1, and seed yield through decreasing the leaf Na+ content, MDA, and EL%. The combined application of PGPMs and Si-ZnNPs minimized the adverse impact of water stress and soil salinity by maximizing the root length, heavier nodules dry weight, leaves area, TSS and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, which resulted in higher soybean growth and productivity, which suggests their use under harsh growing conditions.