Assessment of Salinity Tolerance and Ecotypic Variability in Vicia narbonensis L.:Morphological,Physiological,and Biochemical Responses

Salinity stress is a major challenge for global agriculture,particularly in arid and semi-arid regions,limiting plant productivity due to water and soil salinity.These conditions particularly affect countries along the southern Mediterranean rim,including Algeria,which primarily focuses on pastoral and forage practices.This study investigates salinity tolerance and ecotypic variability in Vicia narbonensis L.,a fodder legume species recognized for its potential to reclaim marginal soils.Morphological,physiological,and biochemical responses were assessed in three ecotypes(eco2,eco9,and eco10)exposed to different salinity levels(low,moderate,and severe).The study was conducted using a completely randomized block design with three blocks per ecotype per dose.The results from the two-way analysis of variance demonstrate significant effects across nearly all attributes studied,revealing distinct ecotypic responses.These findings underscore variations in growth parameters,osmotic regulation mechanisms,and biochemical adjustments.The substantial diversity observed among these ecotypes in their response to salinity provides valuable insights for breeders addressing both agronomic and ecological challenges.Multivariate analyses,including Principal Component Analysis(PCA),revealed key variables distinguishing between ecotypes under salinity stress.Moreover,Classification based on Salinity Tolerance Indices(STI)further differentiated ecotypic performance with more precision,and this is because of the combination of the different parameters studied.These results open up new prospects for the development of strategies to improve the salinity tolerance of forage legumes.

Exogenous Alpha-Ketoglutarate(AKG)Modulate Physiological Characteristics,Photosynthesis,Secondary Metabolism and Antioxidant Defense System in Peganum Harmala L.under Nickel Stress

Nickel(Ni)toxicity significantly impairs plant growth,photosynthesis,and metabolism by inducing oxidative stress.This study evaluates the potential of exogenous Alpha-Ketoglutarate(AKG)in mitigating Ni-induced stress in Peganum harmala L.Seedlings were exposed to 0,200,500,and 750μM NiCl2,with or without AKG supplementation.Under 750μM Ni stress,dry weight(DW)decreased by 33.7%,tissue water content(TWC)by 39.9%,and chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll levels were reduced by 17%and 15%,respectively.Ni exposure also significantly increased secondary metabolite production,with leaf anthocyanin content rising by 131%,and superoxide dismutase(SOD)and catalase(CAT)activities increasing by 228%and 53%,respectively,in roots at 500μM Ni.AKG treatment alleviated Ni toxicity by enhancing TWC by 39%and promoting root and shoot growth.Additionally,AKG treatment boosted the synthesis of phenolic compounds and flavonoids,contributing to improved tolerance against Ni stress.These findings demonstrate the potential of AKG in enhancing Ni tolerance in P.harmala,suggesting its promising role in bioremediation of metal-contaminated soils.This is the first study to report the beneficial effects of exogenous AKG in alleviating nickel toxicity in P.harmala L.,offering a new approach for improving plant resilience to heavy metal stress.

Soil erosion susceptibility mapping of Hangu Region,Kohat Plateau of Pakistan using GIS and RS-based models

Soil erosion is a crucial geo-environmental hazard worldwide that affects water quality and agriculture,decreases reservoir storage capacity due to sedimentation,and increases the danger of flooding and landslides.Thus,this study uses geospatial modeling to produce soil erosion susceptibility maps(SESM)for the Hangu region,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KPK),Pakistan.The Hangu region,located in the Kohat Plateau of KPK,Pakistan,is particularly susceptible to soil erosion due to its unique geomorphological and climatic characteristics.Moreover,the Hangu region is characterized by a combination of steep slopes,variable rainfall patterns,diverse land use,and distinct soil types,all of which contribute to the complexity and severity of soil erosion processes.These factors necessitate a detailed and region-specific study to develop effective soil conservation strategies.In this research,we detected and mapped 1013 soil erosion points and prepared 12 predisposing factors(elevation,aspect,slope,Normalized Differentiate Vegetation Index(NDVI),drainage network,curvature,Land Use Land Cover(LULC),rainfall,lithology,contour,soil texture,and road network)of soil erosion using GIS platform.Additionally,GIS-based statistical models like the weight of evidence(WOE)and frequency ratio(FR)were applied to produce the SESM for the study area.The SESM was reclassified into four classes,i.e.,low,medium,high,and very high zone.The results of WOE for SESM show that 16.39%,33.02%,29.27%,and 21.30%of areas are covered by low,medium,high,and very high zones,respectively.In contrast,the FR results revealed that 16.50%,24.33%,35.55%,and 23.59%of the areas are occupied by low,medium,high,and very high classes.Furthermore,the reliability of applied models was evaluated using the Area Under Curve(AUC)technique.The validation results utilizing the area under curve showed that the success rate curve(SRC)and predicted rate curve(PRC)for WOE are 82%and 86%,respectively,while SRC and PRC for FR are 85%and 96%,respectively.The validation results revealed that the FR model performance is better and more reliable than the WOE.

Aggressiveness Assessment of Two Fusarium spp. on Durum Wheat Grain Coleoptiles under Controlled Conditions

Fusarium head blight(FHB)is a disease caused by several Fusarium species,notably,F.culmorum and F.grami-nearum.These pathogens adversely affect the technological and sanitary qualities of cereal grains,particularly durum wheat.Under favorable environmental conditions and in susceptible varieties,these Fusarium species can significantly reduce both the quantity and quality of crops.This study evaluated the pathogenicity of the two Fusarium species(FC2006 and FG2008)in the growth of durum wheat coleoptiles.The plant material included four commercially grown parental varieties(G9,G10,G11,G12)and eight breeding lines(G1,G2,G3,G4,G5,G6,G7,G8).In vitro tests revealed that both Fusarium species significantly reduced the coleoptile growth across the studied varieties and lines(p≤0.001).The control test had an average coleoptile length of 37.87 mm.In contrast,seeds inoculated with FC2006 had an average length of 0.62 mm,and those inoculated with FG2008 had only 0.064 mm.Although there was a slight difference in aggressiveness between the two spe-cies,it was not statistically significant(p>0.05).Some variability was also noted in the responses of the durum wheat varieties and lines.The G8 genotype showed remarkable behavior in both isolates,with an average length of 1.83 mm for FC2006 and 0.4 mm for FG2008.The other genotypes showed total inhibition of coleoptile growth(0 mm).Thesefindings highlight the importance of conducting further research on the defense mechanisms of durum wheat against Fusarium and assessing the local varieties’pathogenicity to better explore the interactions between these pathogens and durum wheat genotypes under in vitro conditions.

Effects of Rate and Source Organo-Mineral Material on Forage Yield and Nutritive Value of Barley-Pea Mixed under Arid Conditions

Cereal-legume intercropping plays a vital role in the subsistence food production system that prevails in the arid regions.It not only provides profitable crop productivity for agricultural communities but also plays an important role in improving soil fertility.Therefore,the present research was conducted to assess the effect of the organic and mineral fertilizers on the forage yield and nutritional value in barley-pea intercropping system.The results revealed that the quality of forage grass is significantly influenced by both organic and inorganic fertilizer.Thus,organic fertilizer application has significantly influenced the dry matter(DM),crude ash(CA),crude protein(CP),neutral detergent fiber(NDF),and acid detergent fiber(ADF).Among the treatments,organic fertilizer added at rate of 35 m^(−3) ha^(−1) produced the maximum fresh and dry matter in barley and peas.In addition,the same level of organic fertilizer also improved silage composition by significantly increasing the protein and fiber content and showed highest the values.Based on overall results,it is concluded that organic fertilizer treatment(35 m^(−3) ha^(−1))has the potential as an effective strategy to improve the productivity and nutritional quality of the barley-pea intercropping system in arid areas.The results revealed that organic fertilizer can be utilized in sustainable agricultural as a source of nutrients for numerous various crops under arid conditions.

Genotypic Divergence, Photosynthetic Efficiency, Sodium Extrusion, and Osmoprotectant Regulation Conferred Salt Tolerance in Sorghum

Salt stress is one of the major limitations to modern agriculture that negatively influences plant growth and productivity.Salt tolerant cultivar can provide excellent solution to enhance stress tolerance with plantfitness to unfavorable environments.Therefore,this study was aimed to screen salt tolerant sorghum genotypes through evaluating of different morphological,biochemical,and physiological attributes in response to salinity stress.In this study,we have been evaluated total six sorghum genotypes including Hybrid sorgo,Debgiri,BD-703,BD-706,BD-707,and BD-725 under salt stress(12 dS m^(-1) NaCl).The response variables included length and weight of root and shoot,root:shoot ratio(RSR),photosynthesis(A),transpiration rate(E),elemental concen-trations(K^(+),Na^(+) and K^(+)/Na^(+)),photochemical efficiency of photosystem II(F_(v)/F_(m)),water use efficiency(WUE)and pigment content(chlorophyll a,and b).The results revealed that saline environment significantly reduced all response variables under study of sorghum genotypes,however,Hybrid sorgo remained unmatched by recording the maximum root and shoot traits.The same genotype recorded higher photosynthetic efficiency which was attributed to Na^(+) extrusion,K^(+) uptake and higher K^(+)/Na^(+) ratio(1.8 at stress),while these mechanisms were not fully active in rest of genotypes.Moreover,this study also implies the involvement of proline in imparting tolerance against saline environment in Hybrid sorgo genotype.Overall,BD-703 remained the most salt sensitive genotype as evident from the minimum morphological growth traits and the least biosynthesis of osmoprotectants.Thesefindings open new research avenues for salt stress alleviation by identifying elite salt-to-lerant genotypes of sorghum for breeding programs.

Role of Organic Amendments to Mitigate Cd Toxicity and Its Assimilation in Triticum aestivum L.

In soil biota,higher and enduring concentration of heavy metals like cadmium(Cd)is hazardous and associated with great loss in growth,yield,and quality parameters of most of the crop plants.Recently,in-situ applications of eco-friendly stabilizing agents in the form of organic modifications have been utilized to mitigate the adverse effects of Cd-toxicity.This controlled experiment was laid down to appraise the imprints of various applied organic amendments namely poultry manure(PM),farmyard manure(FYM),and sugarcane press mud(PS)to immobilize Cd in polluted soil.Moreover,phytoavailability of Cd in wheat was also accessed under an alkaline environment.Results revealed that the addition of FYM(5–10 ton ha^(-1))in Cd-contaminated soil significantly increased germination rate,leaf chlorophyll content,plant height,spike length,biological and grain yield amongst all applied organic amendments.Moreover,the addition of FYM(5–10 ton ha^(-1))also reduced the phytoavailability of Cd by 73–85%in the roots,57–83%in the shoots,and 81–90%in grains of wheat crop.Thus,it is affirmed that incorporation of FYM(5–10 ton ha^(-1))performed better to enhance wheat growth and yield by remediating Cd.Thus,the application of FYM(5–10 ton ha^(-1))reduced the toxicity induced by Cd to plants by declining its uptake and translocation as compared to all other applied organic amendments to immobilize Cd under sandy alkaline polluted soil.

In vitro Evaluation of Seed Germination in Twelve Alfalfa Cultivars under Salt Stress

Alfalfa(Medicago sativa L.),when exposed to abiotic stress such as salinity,suffers significant losses in yield and productivity.The present study evaluated the salinity tolerance of 12 alfalfa cultivars in vitro using five concentrations of sodium chloride(NaCl),ranging from 0 to 250 mmol L^(−1).The results obtained in the current study revealed that the Saudi cultivars,Kasimi and Hassawi,and the German cultivar(Berlin)had the highest salinity tolerance in terms of germination percentage(GP),corrected germination rate index(CGRI),days to reach 50%germination(GT_(50)),and ability to form cotyledonary and true leaves.Under mmol L^(−1) NaCl,the Saudi cultivar Kasimi cultivar showed GP,CGRI,and GT_(50) of 55.20%,123.15,and 3.77 days,respectively.Similarly,the German cultivar(Berlin)showed GP,CGRI,and GT_(50) of 50.06%,86.61,and 5.17 days,respectively.These findings might reveal a pivotal aspect in salt tolerance in alfalfa.Our results will help to select salt-tolerant alfalfa cultivars that could thrive in arid and semi-arid areas with salinity problems.

Soil erosion assessment by RUSLE model using remote sensing and GIS in an arid zone

In this research,we used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE)and Geographical Information System(GIS)to predict the annual rate of soil loss in the District Chakwal of Pakistan.The parameters of the RUSLE model were estimated using remote sensing data,and the erosion probability zones were determined using GIs.The estimated length slope(LS),crop management(C),rainfall erosivity(R),soil erodibility(K),and support practice(P)range from 0-68,227,0-66.61%,0-0.58,495.99-648.68 MJ/mm.t.ha^(-1).year^(-1),0.15-0.25 MJ/mm.t.ha^(-1).year^(-1),and 1 respectively.The results indicate that the estimated total annual potential soi loss of approximately 4,67,064.25 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1) is comparable with the measured'sediment ioss of 11,631 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1) during the water year 2020.The predicted soil erosion rate due to an increase in agricultural area is approximately 164,249.31 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1).In this study,we also used,Landsat imagery to rapidly achieve actual land use classification.Meanwhile,38.i3%of the region was threatened by very high soil erosion,where the quantity of soil erosion ranged from 365487.35 t.ha^(-1).year^(-1),Integrating GIS and remote sensing with the RUSLE model helped researchers achieve their final objectives.Land-use planners and decision-makers use the result's spatial distribution of soil erosion in District Chakwal for conservation and management planning.