Rhizobacteria facilitate physiological and biochemical drought tolerance of Halimodendron halodendron (Pall.) Voss

Growth-promoting bacteria(GPB)have shown promising effects on serving plants against environmental constraints such as drought.Nevertheless,simultaneous effects of different GPB have less been considered for arid land plants and under field conditions.We investigated the effects of single and combined application of GPB,including free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria(NFB),phosphate solubilizing bacteria(PSB),potassium solubilizing bacteria(KSB),a combination of NFB,PSB,and KSB(NPK),and control,at three drought stress treatments.In order to better understand the interactions between drought and GPB,we measured the morphological,biochemical,and physiological plant traits.The target plant was salt tree(Halimodendron Halodendron(Pall.)Voss),a legume shrub native to arid lands of Central and West Asia.All biofertilizer treatments enhanced the growth,physiology,and biochemistry of salt tree seedlings,and there were significant differences among the treatments.KSB and PSB treatments increased photosynthetic pigments,but KSB treatment was more efficient in transpiration rate and stomatal regulation and increased the soluble carbohydrates.PSB treatment had the highest effect on root traits,such as taproot length,root volume,cumulative root length,and the ratio of root to shoot.NFB treatment enhanced root diameter and induced biomass translocation between root systems.However,only the application of mixed biofertilizer(i.e.,NPK treatment)was the most significant treatment to improve all plant morphological and physiological characteristics of salt tree under drought stress.Therefore,our results provided improvement of some specific plant traits simultaneous with application of three biofertilizers to increase growth and establishment of salt tree seedlings in the degraded arid lands.

Evaluation of Some Promising Soybean Genotypes to Infestation with Cotton Leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis) under Field Conditions

A two-year study was carried out in Giza Agricultural Experiments and Research Station, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt in the 2020 and 2021 summer seasons to evaluate the relative tolerance of ten soybean genotypes for cotton leafworm infestation under field conditions. Soybean genotypes H11L145, H155, H113, H4L4, H15L17, H129, H30, H19L96, Giza 111, and Crawford were distributed in randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Soybean genotypes differed significantly for cotton leafworm at the 6th, 7th, and 8th week from sowing. Low values of cotton leafworm assemblages were recorded for H113, H4L4, H15L17, Giza 111, and H129. Low percentages of the larval survival number and weight, as well as the number of the survival of pupa were recorded by feeding on leaves of genotypes H4F4, H15L17, and Giza 111 under laboratory conditions. There were significant differences among the studied genotypes in most yield attributes in both seasons. Soybean genotypes H15L17, Giza 111, H113, H129, H19L96, and H4L4 gave higher seed yield per ha, meanwhile soybean genotypes H155, H19L96, H30, Giza 111, and H15L17 had higher seed oil content than the other genotypes in both seasons. The number and weight of larvae surviving, as well as the number of pupa survival, were negatively correlated with leaf total phenols and seed oil content. It can be concluded that soybean genotypes H15L17, H4L4, and Giza 111 are promising genotypes with desirable seed oil content for tolerating cotton leafworm infestation in breeding programs.

Influences of Ridge Width and Foliar Spraying of Amino Acids Compounds on Yield and Quality of Two Faba Bean Cultivars

A two-year study was carried out at the Agricultural Experiments and Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt, during 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons to evaluate seed yield and quality of two faba bean cultivars to different rates of amino acids compounds under narrow and wide ridges. Two faba bean cultivars Sakha 1 and Masr 3 were grown in two ridge widths 60 and 120 cm and received five rates of amino acids compounds (Power mix at rates 1.5 cm⋅L−1 “Pm1” and 3.0 cm⋅L−1 “Pm2”, Super mix at rates of 3.5 cm⋅L−1 “Sm1” and 7.0 cm⋅L−1 “Sm2”, as well as, water only “control treatment”). The treatments laid out in a split split plot distribution in randomized complete blocks design in three replications were used. Ridge width was randomly assigned to the main plots, faba bean cultivars were allocated in sub-plots and amino acids compounds were allocated in sub sub-plots. Shoot chemical composition and photosynthesis pigments, as well as, chemical composition in seed traits of faba bean were tested in the laboratories of Plant Physiology Section, Agricultural Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. Wide ridge had higher nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), total sugars and total free amino acids concentrations in faba bean shoot and seeds in addition to chlorophyll a (Chl a) and chlorophyll b (Chl b) in faba bean shoot, as well as, most seed yield attributes than those of the narrow one. Faba bean cultivar Sakha 1 had higher values of seed yield, yield attributes and quality than Masr 3 that achieved higher seed antioxidants. Also, amino acids compounds affected significantly all studied traits of faba bean plants. Pm2 recorded the highest values of chemical composition in faba bean shoot and seeds. Moreover, Pm2 gave the highest seed yield and yield attributes compared to others. The interaction between ridge width and faba bean cultivar was significant for total sugars and carotenoids concentrations in faba bean shoot and 100-seed weight, as well as, seed N content. Also, the interaction between ridge width and amino acids compound had significant effects on shoot and seed N, P, K concentrations, number of pods plant−1 and seed yield ha−1, as well as, total soluble phenols and total free amino acids concentrations. Moreover, the interaction between faba bean cultivar and amino acids compound had significant effects on shoot Chl a and b concentrations, number of seeds pod−1 and seed yield plant−1, as well as, seed N, total soluble phenols and total free amino acids concentrations. Wide ridge x faba bean cultivar x amino acids compound interaction had significant effects on photosynthesis pigments, number of seeds pod−1 and seed yield ha−1, as well as, seed N, total sugars, total soluble phenols and total free amino acids concentrations. High seed yield and quality were recorded by growing faba bean cultivar Sakha 1 in wide ridge with foliar spraying at rate of 3.0 cm⋅L−1 of power mix. On the other hand, growing faba bean cultivar Masr 3 in narrow ridge with foliar spraying at rate of 3.5 cm⋅L−1 of super mix had good antioxidants in faba bean seeds.