Physiological and biochemical responses of argan (Argania spinosa (L.)) seedlings from containers of different depths under water stress

Abstract

Plant species characteristic of arid and semi-arid zones, such as Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels, have a taproot that allows them to reach the soil horizons more quickly. Unfortunately, in the nursery, the containers of culture used for the production of seedlings do not support an excellent development of the root architecture that can be able to resist the shock of transplantation, in particular of the hydric stress. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological and biochemical behavior of Argania spinosa seedlings grown in containers of different depths under water stress. An experiment was conducted with 90 seedlings from the different containers (P1 for depth of 16 cm, P2 for depth of 30 cm, and P3 for depth of 60 cm), and three watering treatments (well-watered 100% of field capacity, moderate stress with 50% of field capacity and severe stress with 25% of the field capacity). Our results showed that seedlings from the 16 cm container had lower values of water status. Malondialdehyde content, electrolyte leakage, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide radical content gave higher values on seedlings from the shallow container. The benefits of increasing the container depth of nursery seedlings contribute to the improvement of physiological and biochemical responses of seedlings under water stress. To fully validate our findings, a long-term field study must be conducted.

Innovation of argan (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) products and byproducts for sustainable development of rural communities in Morocco. A systematic literature review

“…Other studies were instead based on lab and nursery tests (Mazri et al 2022), including cuttings and rooting (Bousselmame et al 2001), use of proper containers in nurseries (30 or 60 cm) to allow a better development of roots (Ouswati et al 2021), micro-grafting from in vitro germinated seeds (Koufan et al 2020), seed treatments such as pre-sowing soaking treatments (Ikinci 2014;Benaouf et al 2016) or the use of a mixture of sand and peat as substrate for germination (Elmandouri et al 2020) or on the effects of light on seed germination (Alouani and Bani-Aameur 2003).…”

Assessing the influence of different Synthetic Aperture Radar parameters and Digital Elevation Model layers combined with optical data on the identification of argan forest in Essaouira region, Morocco

“…This vege-tation type, also known as arganeraie, covered about 952,200 ha and has been declared by UNESCO MAB (Man and the Biosphere Reserve) as a biosphere reserve in 1998. It constitutes the third most popular wood species in Morocco, following the sandarac gum (Tetraclinis articulata) and evergreen oak (Quercus ilex - Khallouki et al 2015), which have a taproot reaching soil horizons faster (Ali et al 2021). The argan tree is characterized by slow growth and a spiny, shrubby structure and has a remarkable lifespan of over 200 years.…”