The Potential of a mixture of Zeolite, Calcium, and Organic compounds on mitigating the salinity stress in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Elsawy, Hayam I.A.; Mohamed, Amany M.; Mohamed, Eman N.M.; Gad, Khaled I.

doi:10.21608/ejar.2023.194831.1368

The Potential of a mixture of Zeolite, Calcium, and Organic compounds on mitigating the salinity stress in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Seed Technology Research Department, Field Crops Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, 12619, Egypt.

² Wheat Crop Research Department, Field Crops Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, 12619, Egypt.

10.21608/ejar.2023.194831.1368

Abstract

Given the population growth, climate change, salinity stress conditions particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, wheat crop production is significantly hampered by soil salinity. Zeolite, Calcium or organic acids may diminish the negative effects of salinity stress on plants. The purpose of this study was to illustrate the ameliorative effect of Zeolite, Calcium and Organic compounds (Ze-Ca-OC) mixture (100mg /L) on two bread wheat cultivars (Sakha 95 and Misr 3) grown under four salinity concentrations (0,50, 100, 150 mM NaCl). The present experiment was conducted in two consecutive seasons (2020/2021, 2021/2022) in sandy soil pots at Sakha agricultural research station, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt. The wheat cultivars were exposed to only salinity stress levels or treated with the Ze-Ca-OC mixture, were evaluated by different physiological characteristics in the vegetative stage were recorded for both cultivars. Additionally, at the harvest stage, the plant height, grain yield and grain protein content were measured as well. Salinity stress inhibited the growth of Misr 3 cultivar more than Sakha 95 through much compartmentalization of Na+ content and low K+/Na+ ratio with low Ca++ content in the leaf and root tissues. Application of Ze-Ca-OC mixture improved their growth by decreasing the Na+ toxicity and enhance the oxidative defense of both cultivars over the upregulating the POD enzyme activity. Supplementing the wheat cultivars with Ze-Ca-OC mixture under salinity stress levels led to a significant increase in the RWC by (≈ 20, 17%) under (100, 150 mM NaCl), respectively, in cultivar Misr 3.

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