article · Plant and Soil
Combining soil-applied plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria with foliar sprays of zinc oxide nanoparticles enhances the resilience and productivity of wheat grown in sodic-saline soil irrigated with saline groundwater. Tested in open field conditions across two growing seasons, this combined treatment significantly mitigated salt stress. It stimulated antioxidant enzyme activities, increasing catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase levels, while improving potassium uptake and sharply reducing cellular stress indicators such as electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide. The intervention also improved plant nutrition, boosting grain nitrogen uptake alongside grain and straw zinc concentrations. Furthermore, the combined treatment stimulated soil biological health, leading to substantial increases in soil urease and dehydrogenase enzyme activities under saline irrigation conditions.
Soil salinity and poor-quality irrigation water severely threaten cereal yields in arid and semi-arid agricultural regions. Demonstrating that combined biofertilisers and micronutrient nanoparticles can sustain crop growth in sodic-saline soils helps safeguard wheat production. It also enriches the nutritional zinc content of the harvest while maintaining vital soil biological activity under challenging environmental conditions.
This research provides applied and field-tested evidence for manufacturers of agricultural inputs, biofertilisers, and agrochemical formulations. The dual treatment of specific bacterial strains and zinc oxide nanoparticles could be developed into an integrated crop management package for wheat farmers cultivating marginal, saline-affected land. Because the findings derive from two seasons of open field trials, the approach is relatively close to practical on-farm adoption, pending standardisation of formulations and regulatory clearances.
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Abstract Background and aims Wheat growth and productivity need an exceptional approach to resist the deleterious effects of salt stress. Methods This study proposed to assess the effectiveness of the exogenous application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR; i.e., Azospirillum lipoferum SP2, Bacillus coagulans NCAIM B.01123, Bacillus circulance NCAIM B.02324, and Bacillus subtilis MF497446) at a rate of 950 g ha −1 and foliar application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs; 500 mg L −1 ) against irrigation with saline (from a groundwater well) and fresh water (from the Nile River water) of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) in sodic-saline soil during 2021 and 2022 growing seasons under open field conditions. Results The integrated application of PGPR and ZnO-NPs protected wheat plants against irrigation with saline water through increasing antioxidant enzyme activities, i.e., catalase (47%), peroxidase (102%), and superoxide dismutase (106%), and K + uptake (27%) over control. Conversely, higher stress mitigation through the integrated application was illustrated by a considerable decline in electrolyte leakage (−62%), proline (−39%), MDA (−56%), and H 2 O 2 levels (−60%). The N uptake by wheat grains increased by 57% upon treating plants with PGPR+ZnO-NPs, which also increased the Zn contents in grain and straw by 117% and 72%, respectively. Also, PGPR+ZnO-NPs increased the activity of soil urease and dehydrogenase by 80% and 232%, respectively, in plots irrigated with saline water. Conclusion The results of the present investigation suggest the use of the integrated application of PGPR and ZnO-NPs to protect wheat plants against salinity of soil and/ or irrigation water.
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DOI: 10.1007/s11104-023-06245-7
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