Mitigating Osmotic Stress and Enhancing Developmental Productivity Processes in Cotton through Integrative Use of Vermicompost and Cyanobacteria

Abstract

There is an urgent demand for biostimulant amendments that can sustainably alleviate osmotic stress. However, limited information is available about the integrated application of vermicompost and a cyanobacteria extract on cotton plants. In 2020 and 2021, two field experiments were carried out in which twelve combinations of three irrigation intervals were employed every 14 days (Irrig.14), 21 days (Irrig.21), and 28 days (Irrig.28) along with four amendment treatments (a control, vermicompost, cyanobacteria extract, and combination of vermicompost + cyanobacteria extract) in salt-affected soil. The integrative use of vermicompost and a cyanobacteria extract resulted in an observed improvement in the physicochemical attributes; non-enzymatic antioxidants (free amino acids, proline, total soluble sugars, and phenolics); and antioxidant enzyme activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) and a decrease in the levels of oxidative damage indicators (H2O2 and MDA). Significant augmentation in the content of chlorophyll a and b, carotenoid concentration, relative water content, stomatal conductance, and K+ was also observed. In conjunction with these findings, noticeable decreases in the content of Na+ and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the degree of lipid peroxidation (MDA) proved the efficacy of this technique. Consequently, the highest cotton yield and productivity as well as fiber quality were achieved when vermicompost and a cyanobacteria extract were used together under increasing irrigation intervals in salt-affected soil. In conclusion, the integrated application of vermicompost and a cyanobacteria extract can be helpful for obtaining higher cotton productivity and fiber quality compared with the studied control and the individual applications of the vermicompost or the cyanobacteria extract under increasing irrigation intervals within salt-affected soil. Additionally, it can also help alleviate the harmful impact of these abiotic stresses.

Review of Crop Response to Soil Salinity Stress: Possible Approaches from Leaching to Nano-Management

“…Several studies have investigated the role of organic amendments in mitigating soil salinity and increasing microbial biomass (MBC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), the bioavailability of nutrients (NPK and other nutrients), and the activity of many enzymes such as catalase, urease, phosphatase, invertase, and phenol-oxidase [76]. Studies into this relationship have involved applying compost [52], biochar [77], manure [76], vermicompost [78], and combinations of biochar and compost [20], biochar and vermicompost [79], and titanium, gypsum, and biochar composite [80]. Effective management of saline soils depends on reducing the soluble salt content and/or the ESP of the soil and the accumulation of sodium ions (Na + ) in cultivated plant tissues [81].…”

Effect of carboxymethyl cellulose and gibberellic acid-enriched biochar on osmotic stress tolerance in cotton

“…Drought conditions lead to a lessened water potential in plant cells, impeding the uptake of water through roots and causing a disruption in the delicate balance of cellular osmotic equilibrium [ 2 ]. This osmotic stress, exacerbated by the scarcity of water in the soil, emerges as a critical bottleneck in cotton cultivation, severely compromising productivity [ 3 ]. Recognizing the imperative to safeguard cotton production in arid and semi-arid areas, there arises a critical need to formulate and implement robust strategies aimed at augmenting soil water content and mitigating osmotic stress.…”