Abstract
The present study aimed to determine the effects of biostimulants on the physicochemical parameters of the agricultural soil of quinoa under two water regimes and to understand the mode of action of the biostimulants on quinoa for drought adaptation. We investigated the impact of two doses of vermicompost (5 and 10 t/ha) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi applied individually, or in joint application, on attenuating the negative impacts of water shortage and improving the agro-physiological and biochemical traits of quinoa, as well as soil fertility, under two water regimes (well-watered and drought stress) in open field conditions. Exposure to drought decreased biomass, leaf water potential, and stomatal conductance, and increased malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide content. Mycorrhiza and/or vermicompost promoted plant growth by activating photosynthesis machinery and nutrient assimilation, leading to increased total soluble sugars, proteins, and antioxidant enzyme activities in the leaf and root. After the experiment, the soil’s total organic matter, phosphorus, nitrogen, calcium, and soil glomalin content improved by the single or combined application of mycorrhiza and vermicompost. This knowledge suggests that the combination of mycorrhiza and vermicompost regulates the physiological and biochemical processes employed by quinoa in coping with drought and improves the understanding of soil–plant interaction.
Highlights
World agriculture currently is facing daunting and complex challenges along with the increase in the world population and rising incomes in developing countries
Our results showed that the soluble sugar and soluble protein contents of treated plants subjected to drought stress were greater than those of untreated plants, or under
Our analyses indicated that the preliminary analysis of the agricultural soil showed low total organic matter (TOM) and micronutrients (Table 4), and the application of the proposed biofertilizers improved the soil physicochemical properties and, most importantly, the recycling of valuable nutrients for plants (Table 4)
Summary
World agriculture currently is facing daunting and complex challenges along with the increase in the world population and rising incomes in developing countries. With dietary/lifestyle changes, this growth is driving up global food demand, which is expected to increase between 59% to 98% by 2050 [1,2,3]. There is increasing pressures, from climate change, to urbanization, to a lack of investment, making it challenging to produce enough food [4]. The climate events—like droughts—change growing seasons, reduce water availability, limit crop productivity, and enable weeds, pests, and fungi to thrive in large ranges and numbers. These consequences will undoubtedly further affect food security, which must be ensured continuously in the coming years [3]. Doubling food production by 2050 will undeniably be a significant challenge
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