Influence of potassium humate on biochemical and agronomic attributes of bean plants grown on saline soil

Abstract

ABSTRACTTo study the effect of soil application of potassium humate (KH) (0, 70 and 140 Kg ha−1) on agronomic, biochemical attributes, and yield and its components on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars ‘Bronco’ grown under two sites having different level of salinity (EC = 3.00 or 5.00 ± 0.20 dS m−1). Two field trials were conducted at the Agriculture Test Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, in 2014 and 2015. The obtained results indicated that addition of KH increased all of the studied growth parameters, i.e. plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, stem diameter and canopy dry weight. Moreover addition of KH significantly increased membrane permeability measurements. KH significantly increased chemical composition related to salt tolerant either inorganic e.g. N, P, K, and decreased Na and Cl contents of leaves or organic components e.g. chlorophyll a + b, carotenoids, anthocyanin total phenolics, total flavonoids and proline. DPPH radical-scavenging activity and yield and its components were increased. The soil application of KH was found to be highly effective at improving the growth and yield of bean plants by alleviating the inhibitory effects of soil salinity stress.