E. Shirmohammadi; H.A. Alikhani; Ahmad Ali Pourbabaee; H. Etesami
Abstract
Introduction: Stresses of drought, salinity and deficiency of nutrients especially phosphorus (P) are the most important challenges for wheat production in Iran. One of the ways to achieve more wheat yield production is increasing of this plants tolerance to stresses of water-deficit, salinity and deficiency ...
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Introduction: Stresses of drought, salinity and deficiency of nutrients especially phosphorus (P) are the most important challenges for wheat production in Iran. One of the ways to achieve more wheat yield production is increasing of this plants tolerance to stresses of water-deficit, salinity and deficiency of essential elements such as P; and/or alleviate destructive effects of these stresses. In this respect, use of PGPR can be useful. Research has shown that PGPR with multiple mechanisms reduces the negative effects of water-deficit and salinity stresses, and also increases the resistance of plants to these stresses, which ultimately leads to increase of plants growth. This study was designed and carried out to investigate the effect of three superior PGPR on qualitative and quantitative indices of wheat under water-deficit stress in saline soil. Materials and Methods: The soil used in this experiment was collected from longitude of 49° 26' 25'' E, latitude of 35° 52' 26'' N and elevation of 1534 m (located in the Qazvin province of Iran) from depth of 0-30 cm of soil. According to the experimental design, 3.5 kg of soil with applying P-fertilizers treatments was filled to the pots. The factorial arrangement based on completely randomized design (CRD) was used in this study. The treatments were replicated three times. The first factor: soil water content at two levels including 80% and 55% FC (W80 and W55); the second factor: Bacterial inoculants at four levels including control or non-inoculated seeds with bacterium (B0), inoculated seeds with Bacillus pumilus strain W72 (B1), inoculated seeds with B. safensis strain W73 (B2), inoculated seeds with Staphylococcus succinus strain R12N2 (B3); and the third factor: P-fertilizers at six levels including control or non-treated plants with P-fertilizers (F0), and plants treated with (rock phosphate) RP - (F1), RP + 19 mg triple superphosphate (TSP) / kg of soil (F2), RP + 38 mg TSP / kg of soil (F3), RP + 57 mg TSP / kg of soil (F4), with 57 mg TSP / kg of soil (F5), generally there were 144 experimental units (pots). Also, 192 mg RP (containing 13.8% P2O5 or 6.13% P) was mixed per kg of soil in each of RP treatments. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SAS software and comparison of means was evaluated by using the Tukey's test (HSD) at p < 0.05 level. There were 5 plants in each pot and irrigated up to 80% FC with distilled water. With the beginning of stem elongation stage, water-deficit stress was applied and continued until the harvest. During the experiment, pots were kept in greenhouse at 25/20±2°C day/night temperatures and 16 h photoperiod with 23,000 lux light intensity. At the end of the experiment, plants height, fertile clusters, root dry weight /shoot dry weight ratio, total dry weight of plant, grain number, thousand grain weight, also, root, shoot and grain P-concentration were measured. Results and Discussion: Generally, it can be said that the moisture level of W80 compared to W55 increased all of measured traits in wheat plant. Due to the unique properties of water and its role in biological and non-biological reactions, by reducing soil water content to near of the permanent wilting point (W55), water absorption by the plant hardly occurs. Therefore, the plant needs to consume more energy for water absorption or grow with less water than normal status, which these factors disturb the metabolism of cells and eventually decreases natural activity and growth of plant. Also, it seems that under water stress condition, wheat plant by formation of “Rhizosheaths” around of their own roots, enters to the defensive phase and by this strategy prevents expansion of their own rhizosphere. With attention to the special importance of the rhizosphere in the supply of water, nutrients and activity of microorganisms, as well as the effect of microorganisms secretion and root exudates on the solubility and availability of nutrients. Thus, it is reasonable that qualitative and quantitative traits of plants decrease by reduction of the rhizosphere diameter due to the water-deficit stress. There was no significant difference between application of rock phosphate and control (F0) for most of measured traits of soil and plant; but, application of RP with bacterial treatments (B1 and B2 at W80 and B3 at both level of W55 and W80) compared to the control, often increased measured traits. Also, each level of TSP compared to the control, often increased this trait. Research indicates that RP can be used as a P-fertilizer, but its efficiency depends on its reactivity in the soil. There is ample evidence that RP has not enough efficiency in neutral and alkaline soils; but, it can be used as the P-fertilizer with proper efficiency in acidic soils or alkaline soil with application of PGPR. Often, all of three bacterial treatments (B1, B2 and B3) at level of W80 and B3 treatment at level of W55, compared to control (without bacterial inoculation) improved qualitative and quantitative traits of plant. Research also shows that under stressful and non-stressful conditions, PGPR can improve plant growth by different strategies. However, this microorganism does not always improve plant growth under all conditions. It seems to be due to differences in genetic and function of bacteria and with conditions change, each bacterium may behave differently. Conclusions In general, for wheat cultivation that may get exposed to moisture stress at one or more stages of its growth (such as dry-farming of wheat), the use of B3 bacterial inoculant (Staphylococcus succinus strain R12N2) seems appropriate for crop management. Because in this study at both W80 (non-water-deficit stress) and W55 (severe water-deficit stress) levels of soil water content, B3 treatment increased qualitative and quantitative of wheat traits. In other words, because of the natural conditions of the dryland farming, the probability of precipitation is different; it seems that B3 treatment can increase wheat production under these conditions. However, the use of this bacterium as a biofertilizer for dryland wheat farming in Iran or other place of the world requires further testing and evaluation in dryland farms of that countries.
Solmaz Kazemalilou; Nosratollah Najafi; adel reyhanitabar
Abstract
Introduction: Sunflower as one of the most important oil crops in the world is affected by water deficit stress. Water deficit stress is one of the most important limiting factors of crops growth and production in Iran and many regions of the world. Because of the low water productivity in Iran, the ...
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Introduction: Sunflower as one of the most important oil crops in the world is affected by water deficit stress. Water deficit stress is one of the most important limiting factors of crops growth and production in Iran and many regions of the world. Because of the low water productivity in Iran, the water conservation and increasing of water use efficiency through good management including integrated application of organic and chemical fertilizers and balanced nutrition of plants are necessary. One of the negative effects of water deficit stress is impaired uptake of nutrients such as phosphorus (P) by plants and a decrease in plant yield. It has been found that use of P can reduce the negative effects of drought stress on plants that means the tolerance of plants to drought stress increases with optimal nutrition of P. In Iran, due to the lack of organic matter and the high cost of chemical fertilizers, farmers tend to use organic wastes such as sewage sludge that can have an important contribution in the improvement of soil fertility and plant nutrition and lead to an increase in water use efficiency. Also, integrated and suitable nutrition of plants is a method of sustainable management of soil fertility under environmental stresses. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of sewage sludge (SS) and triple superphosphate (TSP) on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv. Farrokh) seed yield and its components and determining the optimal levels of their consumption under optimum and limited irrigation conditions.
Materials and Methods: This experiment was conducted as a split-plot factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design in Agricultural Research Station of Khoy under field conditions for two years. Experimental factors were irrigation time at two levels (irrigation after 60 and 150 mm evaporation from class A evaporation pan), triple superphosphate at three levels (0, 100 and 200 kg/ha), sewage sludge at four levels (0, 14.2, 28.4 and 56.7 t/ha) and year at two levels (2014 and 2015) with three replications. The 1000 seed weight of sunflower, weight and number of seeds per plant, the percentage of empty achenes, head diameter and seed yield were measured at the end of plant growth period. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using MSTATC software and means comparison was done by Duncan’s multiple range test at 5% probability level.
Results and Discussion: The combined analysis of variances showed that the effect of year was significant for weight of seeds per plant, head diameter and seed yield but it is not significant for 1000 seed weight, number of seeds per plant and percentage of empty achenes. Although water deficit stress significantly increased the percentage of empty achenes but 1000 seed weight, weight and number of seeds per plant, head diameter and seed yield significantly decreased compared to optimum irrigation conditions. The application of integrated application of 200 kg TSP and 56.7 tons SS per ha increased yield and yield components significantly compared to the control treatment. The interaction effects of TSP×SS×irrigation were significant for all studied characteristics. Under optimum irrigation condition, the highest 1000 seed weight (64 g), weight of seeds per plant (85 g), number of seeds per plant (1513), head diameter (22 cm) and seed yield (5576 kg/ha) were observed in intergrated treatment of 200 kg TSP+56.7 tons SS/ha. Under limited irrigation condition, the highest 1000 seed weight (57 g), seeds weight per plant (81 g), seeds number per plant (1494), head diameter (19.6 cm) and seed yield (5322 kg/ha) were obtained from 56.7 tons SS/ha treatment which showed no significant difference with 100 kg TSP+56.7 tons SS/ha treatment. Under optimum and limited irrigation conditions, the percentage of empty achenes were significantly decreased by integrated treatments of 200 kg TSP+56.7 tons SS/ha and 100 kg TSP+56.7 tons SS/ha (70 and 81 percent, respectively) compared to the control.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that integrated application of triple superphosphate and sewage sludge can mitigate negative effects of drought stress; therefore in order to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, increasing sunflower seed yield and development of sustainable agriculture, integrated treatments of 200 kg TSP+56.7 tons SS/ha under optimum irrigation and 100 kg TSP+56.7 tons SS/ha under limited irrigation can be recommended at similar conditions (from the aspect of soil, plant, sewage sludge and climate).
