Efficiency Of Fertilizer Use Research Articles

Fertigation in citrus, a toolkit for sustainable quality production

Techniques and managements of perennial fruits production are nowadays directed towards the need to conserve resources, energy and a commitment to the environment. In this sense, fertigation has risen as a valuable tool in recent years spreading around the world in major fruit belts. The million dollar question strikes why fertigation out-performs conventional basin method of irrigation carrying fertilizers. Citrus trees do not exhibit visible symptoms of water stress until most of the available soil moisture has been depleted. However, fruit set can be adversely affected at soil moisture depletion levels of only 40 to 50 percent, particularly from pre-bloom through June. Consequently, extensive research in the citrus production areas has led to the recommendation that water be applied at one-third depletion during January through June and at two-thirds depletion over the remainder of the year.Fertigation is an effective method of fertilizing in arid climates. Fertilizer levels in the soil are maintained at constant levels of 35–60 mg/kg throughout the irrigation period. Studies suggest that optimum nitrogen rate for mature Shamouti orange trees is about 170kg/ha/year. Higher nitrogen (N) rates increased yields but decreased external fruit quality by delaying peel color development and increasing peel thickness. However, juice quality, specifically total soluble solids, was not affected by nitrogen rate.A plant exposed to uniform regime of moisture and nutrient flow within rhizosphere zone has to spend much less energy than the growing conditions constantly changing over time. Fertigation, is thus, energy efficient as well. While addressing these concerns, however, the major concern emerges as orchard efficiency vis-a-vis FUE/WUE by adopting variable rate fertilizer application taking into consideration the spatial variability in soil properties in a time domain manner known as automated fertigation.This has led to an increase in both fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) and water use efficiency (WUE).

Assessment of nutrient requirement for spring brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) through soil test crop response approach on north indian mollisol

Soil test crop response (STCR) based fertilizer prescription was carried out on brinjal to optimize the fertilizer doses. The field experiment was conducted at N.E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (Latitude 29o N, Longitude 79o29' E and Altitude of 243.84 m above mean sea level) during spring season of 2017-18 to study the effect of soil and applied nutrients on brinjal to ensure balanced fertilization. Response of brinjal to selected combinations of three levels of FYM (0, 10 and 20 t ha-1), four levels of nitrogen (0, 60, 120 and 180 kg N ha-1), four levels of phosphorus (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg P2O5 ha-1) and four levels of potassium (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg K2O ha-1) in different soil fertility strips was studied. Basic data for fertilizer prescription was computed on the basis of soil analysis, nutrient uptake and fruit yield. Nutrient requirement to produce one quintal of brinjal fruit was 0.464, 0.112 and 0.208 kg N, P2O5 and K2O, respectively. Per cent contribution of available N, P2O5 and K2O was 31.1, 23.1 and 13.2, respectively from soil; 64.8, 89.2 and 82.1, respectively from FYM; 25.4, 22.9 and 18.8, respectively from fertilizer; and 35.1, 33.9 and 36.7 from conjoint use of fertilizer and FYM, respectively. Fertilizer prescription equations were generated by these basic data. These fertilizer prescription equations are valuable for efficient and judicious use of costly fertilizers to improve farmer’s economic conditions.

Response of Split Application of Nutrients through Fertigation in Pigeonpea

Background: Among the different production factors, irrigation and nutrient management are of immense importance in Pigeon pea cultivation. Drip irrigation can be considered as an efficient irrigation system to maintain optimum moisture content in the root zone. Split application of fertilizers at appropriate stages of crop growth ensure a regular flow of both water and nutrients resulting in increased growth rate and higher yield. Fertigation proposed as a means to increase efficient use of water and fertilizer to increase yield and sustained irrigated agriculture. The current study aims to study the efficacy of split application of N, P and K on growth, water and nutrient use efficiency, productivity and profitability of Pigeon pea.Methods: The field experiment was conducted at Department of Agronomy Farm, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola during three consecutive kharif season of 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. The experiment was laid out in randomised block design with four replications and eight treatments with an objective to study the efficacy of split application of nutrients on growth, water and nutrient use efficiency, productivity and profitability of Pigeon pea. Result: The results revealed that, all the growth parameters, yield attributes and grain yield of Pigeon pea were substantially enhanced by drip fertigation levels at 125:100:100 per cent recommended NPK than lower fertigation levels (75 and 100%) and over conventional soil application of recommended dose of NPK kg ha-1. Drip fertigation at 125:100:100 per cent recommended dose of NPK ha-1 recorded higher pigeon-pea pooled grain yield of 4053 kg ha-1. The maximum GMR (Rs.226807 ha-1), NMR (Rs.176604 ha-1), B:C ratio (4.52) and highest economic efficiency of Rs.883 day-1 ha-1.

Efficient Use of Solid and Water Soluble Fertilizers for Corn Production in the Northern Part of Steppe Zone of Ukraine

Efficient Use of Solid and Water Soluble Fertilizers for Corn Production in the Northern Part of Steppe Zone of Ukraine

The study on the proposal an integrated ecological model directed to zero emissions of households whose livelihood is planted rice in the Mekong delta

The research has proposed the model of integrated farming production towards zero - emissions based on the foundation of rice farming cultivation. The model of application of ecological solutions, the turnaround, and self-contained energy flow solutions with taking advantage of the existing ecological and environmental conditions of the locality help to maintain livelihoods for the people. Model of a typical application for the household cluster in Dinh Thanh, Thoai Son, An Giang province. The result shows that a straw volume used for the planting of straw mushrooms brings new sources of income to increase the 7.000.000 VND mushroom crop in 40 days, in addition, the rotting medium for growing straw mushrooms, which can be used the flowers to bring effectively revenues in the idle time. At the same time, 2m3/day of livestock and wastewater is processed and reused for agriculture, 39.065,31 tons/year collected in the form of biological gases serving cooking and the amount of straw 6-7 tons of straw/ha is reused by producing Biochar for agriculture, improve the land, improve the efficiency of fertilizer use for households to ensure the requirements of environmental protection, reduce the dependence of existing livelihoods on external factors such as prices, food, human,…. After using Biochar combined with manure for rice fields, helping people reduce 50% of the cost of using chemical fertilizers/ha, equivalent to 5,000,000 VND/ha. This can be seen as the best-integrated model for households whóe the main inheritance is rice cultivation combining livestock, the ability to apply long-term and can easily develop on a wide area, as well as increasing the likelihood of linking for many households to create mutual support in the case of a residential cluster with other livelihood activities besides rice cultivation.

Evaluating Fertilizer Use Efficiency and Spatial Correlation of Its Determinants in China: A Geographically Weighted Regression Approach.

Improving fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) is an effective means to reduce fertilizer use and environmental contamination. Few studies have considered the spatial effects of FUE and its determinants. This paper calculated the FUE of agricultural production by adopting panel data on 31 provinces in China from 2007 to 2017 using a stochastic frontier method with a heteroscedastic inefficiency term, and discussed the spatial characteristics. Further, the geographical weighted regression model (GWR) was employed to examine the spatial impact of factors on FUE and revealed the spatial dispersion and agglomeration effect. The results show that averaged FUE in China was 0.722, and had a significantly decreasing trend with a significant regional difference and spatial positive correlation in different provinces. The non-agricultural employment ratio was the leading factor for increasing FUE, and its degree of influence showed a decreasing trend from eastern to western China. The different agricultural industry development modes, crop planting patterns adjustment, labor transfer, and policy incentive systems for increasing the non-agricultural employment ratio should be developed for different regions. Farmers’ income had a negative impact on FUE, but the influence degree decreased annually. Education level had a negative impact on FUE and was relatively weak, but the influence degree was increasing. This should strengthen the exploration of a scientific and practical technical training system for farmers on fertilizer use while improving educational levels in different regions on the basis of local characteristics. The impact of disasters on FUE depended on their severity, and a combined weather and disaster forecasting mechanism should be developed.

Smart Fertilizer Strategy for Better Crop Production

Food security is one of the major concerns for all developing countries of the world. Even though we had attained the highest food production with the use of new technologies, we may not able to feed the burgeoning population adequately in coming years due to stagnant crop productivity. Natural source of nutrients like organic manures and external source of nutrients, viz. fertilizers, are considered as the two eyes in plant nutrient management. Nutrient use efficiency of fertilizer is very low due to numerous pathways of losses such as leaching, denitrification, microbial immobilization, fixation and runoff. It has been estimated that around 40-70% of nitrogen, 80-90% of phosphorus, 50-70% of potassium and more than 95% of micronutrient content of applied fertilizers are lost in to the environment and results in pollution (Kanjana, 2017). Smart fertilizers like slow and controlled release fertilizers, nanofertilizers and bioformulation fertilizers are the new technologies to enhance the nutrient use efficiency their by improving crop yield in sustainable manner. The use of slow and controlled release fertilizers increase nutrient use efficiency, minimize the risks like leaf burning, water contamination and eutrophication. Nano-fertilizers are the nano-particles-based fertilizers, where supply of the nutrients is made precisely for maximum plant growth, have higher use efficiency, exploiting plant unavailable nutrients in the rhizosphere and can be delivered on real time basis into the rhizosphere or by foliar spray (Priyanka Solangi et al., 2015). The small size, high specific surface area and reactivity of nano fertilizers increase the solubility, diffusion and availability of nutrients to plants and enhance crop productivity. Bioformulation is microbial preparations containing specific beneficial microorganisms which are capable of fixing or solubilizing or mobilizing plant nutrients for promoting plant growth and crop yield. Smart fertilizers are the better option for the farmers to increase their crop yield with low input cost in sustainable way without degrading natural environment.

Nitrogen Effects on Yield, Quality and Physiological Characteristics of Giant Rice

In China, the quantity of nitrogen fertilizer applied is large, but as a consequence of a high level of loss, its utilization rate is low. Compared to common rice, the new giant rice has interesting characteristics, namely high biological yield and good efficient use of fertilizer. However, it becomes urgent to further consider the appropriate rate of nitrogen fertilizer to be applied. The giant rice varieties Feng5 and Feng6 were set up in a pot experiment and a field experiment under five doses of nitrogen fertilizers, namely, 0 kg·ha−1 (CK), 75 kg·ha−1 (T1), 150 kg·ha−1 (T2), 225 kg·ha−1 (T3) and 300 kg·ha−1 (T4). Parameters such as leaf area index (LAI), lodging index (LI), nitrogen utilization rate, photosynthesis rate and grain yield were measured. The results showed that with the increase of nitrogen dose in a certain range, LAI, plant height, the number of tillers, net photosynthetic rate (NPn), the transpiration rate (Tr), and the grain yield increased while the lodging index (LI), the nitrogen agronomic utilization rate (AE) and nitrogen partial productivity (PFPN) decreased. Additionally, with the increase of nitrogen application, the grain yield index (HI) and nitrogen contribution rate (FCRN) of rice presented a parabolic trend.

Planting geometry and nutrient levels affecting seed cotton yield, productivity indices and economic parameters of Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Aim: Lack of location specific information on nutrition requirement and planting geometry needs of Bt cotton hybrids is creating confusion among farmers. Growing Bt hybrids with traditional knowledge or to try different combinations of nutrition and planting geometries is often non-remunerative. Therefore, studies were initiated to find out the optimum combination of planting geometry and nutritional level for better yield to be advocated among farmers. Methodology: A field experiment comprising of 4 planting geometries (PG1 :67.5 cm x 60 cm, PG2: 67.5 cm x 75 cm, PG3:100 cm x 45 cm and PG4: 100 cm x 60 cm) in main and 3 nutrient levels {NL1 :150:30:50:25 (N: P :K :Zn in kg ha-1), NL2:150:40:20:24 and NL3 :175:60:60:25} in sub plots of split plot design was conducted during 2016 and 2017 at Faridkot. Results: Among planting geometries, PG3 (3303 kg ha-1) recorded the highest seed cotton yield (SCY), while PG4 (2728 kg ha-1) recorded least despite highest bolls per plant. Though nutrition levels varied non-significantly for SCY, yet NL2 exhibited better fertilizer use efficiency (FUE), i.e., 13.64, indicative of its advantages over NL1 (11.93) and NL3 (9.77). Interpretation: Thus, based on the present study a PG of 67.5x75 cm and NL of 150:40:20:24 ( N: P :K :Zn in kg ha-1) is recommended. Productivity indices as well as economic parameters elucidate that nutrition rates could be further reduced by 86 kg ha-1 (i.e., 25:20:40:1 kg of N, P, K and Zn) which amount to 33 $ ha-1 from what farmers (NL3) are applying, without any yield loss. Present findings can reduce fertilizer cost and could save 0.13 million ton of fertilizer in ~1.54 million ha of north India alone.

Effect of Magnesium Silicate Nanocomposites Coating of Phosphate Fertilizer on the Availability and Plant Uptake of Phosphorus

ABSTRACT This study assessed the feasibility of struvite formation as a sustainable alternative for increasing the availability of phosphorus by applying a coated fertilizer. Diammonium phosphate fertilizer granules were coated with sepiolite-chitosan nanocomposites (SCF) to increase the use efficiency of phosphate fertilizer. The phosphorus uses efficiency of SCFs was studied under greenhouse conditions using Zea mays (maize) as the test plant and an efficiency improvement were observed. The phosphorus uptake as the result of available phosphorus increased, when fertilizing with the coated phosphate fertilizers. Suspensions of different-coated fertilizer treatments were prepared in 3 pH levels (6,7,8) and the chemical speciation was assessed by Visual MINTEQ 3.1. Precipitation and dissolution reactions were considered as the struvite formation mechanism. Also, the formation of struvite in a calcareous soil was evaluated in three incubation periods by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The XRD patterns showed the peaks of struvite, while the peak of sepiolite decreased gradually with increasing incubation time that could be explained by the transformation of this mineral to amorphous fibrous silica. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses also showed diffusion of phosphorus into the coating region, probably forming metastable magnesium phosphate that can facilitate the movement of P aside from the fertilizer granule toward the soil matrix.

Yield and nitrogen balance in corn grown under no-tillage system

ABSTRACT The corn crop is highly responsive to nitrogen fertilization; however, the application of high doses generally causes a reduction in the use efficiency of fertilizer. In this sense, this study aimed to determine the yield and nitrogen balance in corn grown under the no-tillage system. The experiment consisted of the application of four nitrogen doses (0, 30; 70 and 95 kg ha-1). In all plots with the AG 1051 hybrid corn, 80 and 56 kg ha-1 of P2O5 and K2O were applied, respectively. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with five replications. The grain yield had a linear increasing behavior according to the nitrogen doses, which reached 5,684.79 kg ha-1. The fertilization efficiency and the N extraction increased linearly with the increase of the nitrogen doses, obtaining with the highest dose the extraction of 114.93 kg ha-1 of N and a fertilization efficiency of 65%. The soil N stock of 4,489 kg ha-1 provides corn plants with 52.81 kg ha-1 of this nutrient. Corn adjusts the biomass production according to the availability of nitrogen, with no effect of N doses on the nutrient content in plant tissues.

Impact of natural zeolite on chemical and biochemical properties of vineyard soils

AbstractSustained tillage and continual applications of phytopharmaceutical and fertilizers using heavy machineries frequently give rise to soil erosion, loss of soil organic matter (SOM) and contamination phenomena in Mediterranean vineyards. Because of their distinctive properties, applying natural zeolites to vineyard soils can conceivably affect the efficient use of fertilizers and reduce nutrient leaching losses. This work assesses the impact of zeolite amendment at differing rates (0, 5 and 10 t/ha) on the chemical and biochemical soil properties of three vineyard soils after 6 months from initial treatments. In particular, chemical properties usually related to soil fertility were evaluated along with more sensitive indicators of soil functionality and indicators of chemical–structural characteristics of SOM. The vineyard soils amended with zeolite showed higher nutrient availability and dehydrogenase activity if compared with the control soils. In addition, even though total organic carbon (TOC) content was unchanged, a decrease in humic substances was observed in the zeolite‐treated soils. These results suggested that the stimulation of soil microbial processes by adding zeolite triggered a microbial mineralization process of soil organic carbon stocks. In addition, the modification in the chemical–structural composition of soil organic matter in zeolite‐treated soils was shown by the pyrolysis–gas chromatography (Py‐GC) results. Py‐CG of soil organic matter clearly demonstrated an increase in the labile aliphatic compound furfural and a decline in the more stable aromatic pyrolytic fragments in zeolite‐treated soils in contrast with the control soils, thus indicating the higher extent of decomposition of the SOM more stable pool.

Enhancement of no-tillage, crop straw return and manure application on field organic matter content overweigh the adverse effects of climate change in the arid and semi-arid Northwest China

Soil organic matter (SOM) is important for sustainable agricultural production. Agricultural management can directly or indirectly affect SOM content and associated soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. The SOM content and crop productivity are generally low in the farmlands in the arid and semi-arid regions of China, and are highly sensitive to climate changes. An improvement in SOM content may greatly enhance the efficiency of fertilizer and water use, thereby increasing the resilience of agricultural systems to climate change. However, little information is available on the response of SOM to the interactions of cultivation measures and changing climate in the regions. Here we analyzed the effects of climate and long-term management practices on SOM content at three sites in the arid and semi-arid regions of China using the SOM data monitored under a range of management practices. We showed that the manure application, crop residue return and no-tillage had significantly increased SOM content from 12.1% to 127.5% in the long-term experiment at three sites. We also used the DayCent model to simulate the effects of these management practices in combination with future climate changes on the SOM content, and found that climate changes in the near future would not increase SOM content, and even decrease SOM content under conventional agronomic management, but the possible adverse impact of climate change on SOM can be outweighed by the enhancement of agronomic management. Our results provide important information for improving management to maintain SOM content and sustainable production under future climate changes.

Original

Agriculture in India has experienced a significant transformation in the past fifty years, with agriculture being more and more oriented to a productivist form of socio-economic production. Introduction of new agricultural technologies, high yielding varieties of seeds, improve access to irrigation, education, efficient use of fertilizers and extension services are capable of enhanced productivity per unit of land. Increased production further reflects on socio-economic transformation in rural communities. The study uses secondary data from various sources published by the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The study covers the period between 2000-01 and 2014-15 to analyze the role of agricultural technologies on socio-economic transformation in Hathras district. The methodology adopted for the present study are Data Interpolation or Extrapolation, Yang’s Crop Yield Index, Dayal’s Labour Productivity, Data Standardisation technique Z- score, and Composite Z score. The study concludes that the district has experienced tremendous technological changes in agricultural practices, agriculture induced better productivity and productivity further leads to overall socio-economic transformation.

Hidrogel acrilato de potasio como sustrato en cultivo de pepino y jitomate

La agricultura es la base de la alimentación, se desarrolla en suelo e hidroponía. La hidroponía se explica cómo cultivos sin suelo, en soluciones nutritivas, para el caso del tomate y del pepino es en sustrato. Los sustratos han incrementado la productividad, con uso eficiente de agua y fertilizantes. Si la agricultura consume 70% de agua y en gasto 30% es fertilizantes, el objetivo de este trabajo fue utilizar hidrogel de acrilato de potasio por su capacidad de disminuir la pérdida de fertilizantes como ser reserva de agua, permitiendo mantener la producción de tomate y pepino. La investigación se realizó en Querétaro en 2017. Se evaluó diferentes capacidades de saturación del hidrogel para sus propiedades, la mezcla de sustrato y el rendimiento de tomate y pepino, encontrando diferencias significativas.

Enhanced Agronomic Efficiency Using a New Controlled-Released, Polymeric-Coated Nitrogen Fertilizer in Rice.

Fertilizer-use efficiency is one of the most critical concerns in rice cultivation to reduce N losses, increase yields, and improve crop management. The effects of a new polymeric-coated controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) were compared to those of other slow-release and traditional fertilizers in a microscale experiment, which was carried out in cuvettes under partly controlled ambient conditions, and a large-scale field experiment. To evaluate the fertilizer’s efficiency, nitrogen and water-use efficiency were calculated using the measurement of different photosynthetic and crop yield parameters. Improved responses regarding some of the analyzed physiological and growth parameters were observed for those plants fertilized with the new CRF. In the microscale experiment, significantly increased yields (ca. 35%) were produced in the plants treated with CRF as compared to traditional fertilizer. These results were in accordance with ca. 24% significant increased levels of N in leaves of CRF-treated plants, besides increased P, Fe, Mn, and cytokinin contents. At the field scale, similar yields were obtained with the slow-release or traditional fertilizers and CRF at a 20% reduced N dose. The new controlled-release fertilizer is a urea-based fertilizer coated with lignosulfonates, which is cheaply produced from the waste of pulp and wood industries, containing humic acids as biostimulants. In conclusion, CRF is recommended to facilitate rice crop management and to reduce contamination, as it can be formulated with lower N doses and because it is ecological manufacturing.

Effects of introducing eels on the yields and availability of fertilizer nitrogen in an integrated rice\u2013crayfish system

Recently, many new rice–fish co-culture models have been developed to increase economic and ecological benefits. In this study, we added eels (Monopterus albus) to a rice–crayfish system and conducted a 3-year field investigation to compare the yields and availability of fertilizer N among groups with a low density of eels, high density of eels and no eels. We performed a mesocosm experiment and used an isotope tracer technique to detect the fate of fertilizer N. The results showed that the rice yields significantly improved after the introduction of the eels. However, the introduction of a high density of eels significantly limited the crayfish yield, increased water N and N2O emissions and decreased soil N content. The mesocosm experiment suggested that the use efficiency of fertilizer N was significantly increased after the introduction of the eels. The fertilizer N used by rice was significantly higher in rice–crayfish–eel system than in rice–crayfish system. This study indicated that the introduction of eels may be a good practice for improving yields and availability of fertilizer N in a rice–crayfish system.

Nitrogen dynamics in a winter-wheat field in Ehime, southwestern Japan

ABSTRACT Nitrogen (N) is the most important and limiting factor in crop production. Thus, a clear understanding of its cycle is important to improve its efficiency and reducing environmental pollution. A 2-year experiment was conducted to investigate the N flows on a winter-wheat field during 2017 to 2019 in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. We also evaluated N budgets based on N input and N output among different N flows in a N dynamic model. Full fertilizer (coated urea at 120 N kg ha−1) application was used. Two additional treatments: no and low fertilizer N were set up in a randomized block design with four replications to estimate N sources of plant uptake and emitted N2O. Direct and indirect N2O emission were measured and estimated using a closed chamber technique and emission factor, respectively. N leaching and soil mineralized N were estimated using microlysimeters. Bulk N deposition was measured using the rain trap. Total plant N uptake (208 kg N ha−1) and aboveground yield (190 kg N ha−1) were major N outflows from the field. N in plants originated from fertilizer and soil N were 58.1% and 41.9%, respectively. Leached N (30.1 kg N ha−1) from the surface 30-cm depth of soil was also a major outflow. Mineralized soil N was estimated as 104 kg N ha−1 in the surface soil and contributed to 91% of leached N. Higher mean nitrogen use efficiency (101%) of fertilizer N was possibly because of utilization of coated fertilizer and climatic conditions in the field. Indirect and direct N2O emissions were quite low. A negative N budget (−86.8 kg N ha−1) suggested that supplementation of N by organic matter, such as compost and biochar, which can suppress N leaching, would be required to maintain soil N status and environmentally friendly farming.

The Halotolerant Rhizobacterium-Pseudomonas koreensis MU2 Enhances Inorganic Silicon and Phosphorus Use Efficiency and Augments Salt Stress Tolerance in Soybean (Glycine max L.).

Optimizing nutrient usage in plants is vital for a sustainable yield under biotic and abiotic stresses. Since silicon and phosphorus are considered key elements for plant growth, this study assessed the efficient supplementation strategy of silicon and phosphorus in soybean plants under salt stress through inoculation using the rhizospheric strain—Pseudomonas koreensis MU2. The screening analysis of MU2 showed its high salt-tolerant potential, which solubilizes both silicate and phosphate. The isolate, MU2 produced gibberellic acid (GA1, GA3) and organic acids (malic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, and tartaric acid) in pure culture under both normal and salt-stressed conditions. The combined application of MU2, silicon, and phosphorus significantly improved silicon and phosphorus uptake, reduced Na+ ion influx by 70%, and enhanced K+ uptake by 46% in the shoots of soybean plants grown under salt-stress conditions. MU2 inoculation upregulated the salt-resistant genes GmST1, GmSALT3, and GmAKT2, which significantly reduced the endogenous hormones abscisic acid and jasmonic acid while, it enhanced the salicylic acid content of soybean. In addition, MU2 inoculation strengthened the host’s antioxidant system through the reduction of lipid peroxidation and proline while, it enhanced the reduced glutathione content. Moreover, MU2 inoculation promoted root and shoot length, plant biomass, and the chlorophyll content of soybean plants. These findings suggest that MU2 could be a potential biofertilizer catalyst for the amplification of the use efficiency of silicon and phosphorus fertilizers to mitigate salt stress.

Using compost tea to maximize use efficiency of phosphatic fertilizers and its effect on health and productivity of calcareous soil

Using compost tea to maximize use efficiency of phosphatic fertilizers and its effect on health and productivity of calcareous soil