Abstract
Agriculture has changed dramatically due to mechanization, new technologies, and the increased use of chemical fertilizers. These factors maximize production and reduce food prices, but may also enhance soil degradation. Sustainable agricultural practices include altering crop varieties and the use of soil amendments to increase production, improve irrigation, and more effectively use fertilizers. Ancient and modern durum wheat varieties have been shown to be tolerant to conditions caused by climate change and increase production. Biochar soil amendments have been reported to increase crop yields, soil fertility, and to promote plant growth. However, results are variable depending on biomass source, application conditions, and crop species. This study evaluates the crop response of two contrasting durum wheat varieties on an Eutric Cambisol amended with beech wood biochar. Wheat varieties used are Saragolla, an ancient variety traditionally used in Southern Italy, and Svevo, a widely used commercial variety. The effect of biochar soil amendment on the expression of genes involved in the germination of these two varieties of wheat was determined using RT-PCR. The content of hormones such as gibberellins (GAs), auxins (IAA), and abscisic acid (ABA) was determined. Results demonstrate that biochar had a stimulatory effect on the growth performances of Svevo and Saragolla cultivars at the molecular level. This correlated to the promoted transcription of genes involved in the control of plant development. Overall, the presence of biochar as soil amendment improved the germination rates of both varieties, but the ancient wheat cultivar was better suited to the Eutric Cambisol than the commercial variety. This trend was also observed in un-amended pots, which may indicate better adaptability of the ancient wheat cultivar to withstand environmental stress than the commercial variety.
Highlights
Cereals are one of the most popular sources of food for humans and animals
The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of beech-wood biochar on germination performances, hormone level variations, and transcription of growth-related genes of a commercial (Svevo) and an ancient (Saragolla) wheat cultivar from Southern Italy in an irrigated soil from the Campania region in
The addition of biochar influenced the soil properties of this Eutric Cambisol from the Campania region of Italy by increasing its pH from 5.6 to 7.1 and the water retention from 35.9% to 53.4% (Table 1). The latter was probably due to biochar high Water Holding Capacity (WHC), porosity and organic carbon content
Summary
According to FAOStat, the global wheat production reached 715.9 million tons in 2013 [1], and durum wheat (Triticum durum) is the most widespread crop in the Mediterranean area. Ancient wheat cultivars provide high quality semolina, they have been progressively abandoned in favour of genetically uniform high-yield commercial varieties, as they do not adapt to intensive cultivation parameters. This reduction in biodiversity of modern varieties may enhance susceptibility to pathogens and disease; and decrease grain quality and productivity under adverse environmental conditions [4]. Ancient varieties could be the best choice to low-input and organic growing systems
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