Improved Wheat Growth Research Articles

Unveiling influences of metal-based nanomaterials on wheat growth and physiology: From benefits to detriments

Metal-based nanomaterials (MNs) are widely used in agricultural production. However, our current understanding of the overall effects of MNs on crop health is insufficient. A global meta-analysis of 144 studies involving approximately 2000 paired observations was conducted to explore the impacts of MNs on wheat growth and physiology. Our analysis revealed that the MN type plays a key role in influencing wheat growth. Ag MNs had significant negative effects on wheat growth and physiology, whereas Fe, Ti, and Zn MNs significantly increased wheat biomass and photosynthesis. Our study also observed a clear dose-specific effect, with a decrease in wheat shoot biomass with increasing MN concentrations. Meanwhile, MNs with small sizes (<25 nm) have no significant impacts on wheat growth. Furthermore, both the root and foliar applications significantly improved wheat growth, with no considerable differences. Using a machine learning approach, we found that the MN type was the main driving factor affecting wheat shoot biomass, followed by MN dose and size. Overall, wheat growth and physiology can be negatively influenced by specific MNs, for which a high dose and small size should be avoided in practical applications. Therefore, our study can provide insights into the future design and safe use of MNs in agriculture and increase the public acceptance of nano-agriculture.

Enhancing wheat tolerance to salinity using nanomaterials, proline, and biochar-inoculated with Bacillussubtilis

Salinity negatively impacts crop production by affecting physiological and biochemical processes in plants. This study investigates the effectiveness of Nano-ZnO (NZn), proline (PA), Nano-TiO2 (NTi), Nano-SiO2 (NSi)), and biochar inoculated with Bacillus subtilis (OSBS) in enhancing wheat tolerance to salinity stress. Pot experiments were conducted under saline conditions with varying rates of biochar and foliar applications. Results indicated that 2 % OSBS with NZn and NSi significantly improved wheat growth, leaf area, and nutrient level, reducing the negative impacts of salinity.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles and nano-hydroxyapatite enhanced Cd immobilization, activated antioxidant activity, improved wheat growth, and minimized dietary health risks in soil-wheat system

Cadmium (Cd) accumulation in alkaline soils has posed a serious global food safety and health threat. In this work, the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HAP) on Cd uptake by wheat in Cd-contaminated soils were evaluated by potting experiments. Results revealed that wheat grain yield increased with the application of nanomaterials (NPs), particularly at higher concentrations. The addition of ZnO NPs or n-HAP reduced Cd concentrations in wheat grains, shoots, and roots by 8.40∼44.54 %, 34.50∼57.28 %, 9.32∼41.26 % and 6.72∼14.29 %, 18.18∼32.19 %, and 1.08∼11.02 % compared with those in controls, respectively, while simultaneously increasing leaf antioxidative activity of SOD, POD, and CAT and decreasing MDA content. Soil pH increased and exchangeable Cd was transformed into more stable organically-bound and residual-bound Cd, thereby reducing soil available Cd content (0.1 g/kg ZnO NPs:16.97 %; 2.0 g/kg n-HAP:14.98 %). As a result, Cd enrichment in wheat tissues was reduced significantly by 0.1 g/kg ZnO NPs or 2.0 g/kg n-HAP. The health risk was assessed, and the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) value was <1 with 0.1 g/kg ZnO NPs, which was within the safe range (P<0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that ZnO NPs were more effective than n-HAP in preventing Cd from entering plant roots. Furthermore, soil availability Cd was most affected by soil fractionation, whereas Cd concentrations in wheat tissues had the greatest effect on grain Cd accumulation. These results provide a key basis for the safe and sustainable application of nanoparticles and indicate that type and concentration should be fully considered when selecting nanomaterials to control Cd stress.

A whole process study of dual microalgae cultivation coupled to domestic wastewater treatment and wheat growth

The multiple microalgal collaborative treatment of domestic wastewater has been extensively investigated, but its whole life cycle tracking and consequent potential have not been fully explored. Herein, a dual microalgal system was employed for domestic wastewater treatment, tracking the variation in microalgal growth and pollutants removal from shake flask scale to 18 L photobioreactors scales. The results showed that Chlorella sp. HL and Scenedesmus sp. LX1 combination had superior growth and water purification performance, and the interspecies soluble algal products promoted their growth. Through microalgae mixing ratio and inoculum size optimized, the highest biomass yield (0.42 ± 0.03 g/L) and over 91 % N, P removal rates were achieved in 18 L photobioreactor. Harvested microalgae treated in different forms all promoted wheat growth and suppressed yellow leaf rate. This study provided data support for the whole process tracking of dual microalgal system in treating domestic wastewater and improving wheat growth.

Exogenous applications of ascorbic acid improve wheat growth, physiology and yield under salinity stress via a balance in antioxidant production and ROS scavenging

ABSTRACT Ascorbic acid (AsA) improves plant tolerance against abiotic stresses, but key mechanisms of salt tolerance by its different application modes are obscure. In this study, 5 mM AsA was applied in seed priming (SP), foliar spray (FS) and medium supplementation (MS) modes to explore their comparative effectiveness in improving salinity (170 mM) tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Galaxy-2013). For SP, seeds were primed while FS and MS were administered at tillering. One set of plants was harvested 30 days after treatment to record data for growth, pigments, leaf gas exchange and water relations, as well as shoot and root osmolytes accumulation, antioxidative defence and ionic contents. Another set was harvested at ripening to measure grain yield (GY) components. Salinity stress reduced growth, photosynthesis, water relations, antioxidants defence, enhanced free amino acids, soluble sugars, free proline and glycine betaine, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde. The correlations heatmap revealed positive associations among growth, physiological and GY; being stronger in MS mode. All AsA modes reduced salinity damage, but MS was highly promising. Conclusively, maintenance of a balance in reactive oxygen species dousing and antioxidant production following tissue absorption of AsA in diminishing oxidative damage is a plausible mechanism of wheat salt tolerance.

Impact of diverse tillage and nitrogen management on growth and yield of conservation agriculture-based wheat (Triticum aestivum)

A study was carried out during the winter (rabi) seasons of 2020–21 and 2021–22 at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to assess the effects of diverse tillage and nitrogen management scenarios on growth, development, and yield of a conservation agriculture (CA)-based wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop grown in sequence with maize (Zea mays L.). Experiment was conducted in split plot design (SPD) comprised of 3 different tillage practices in main plots [Conventional tillage + residue (CT); Zero tillage + residue (ZT); and Permanent beds + residue (PB)] and 5 nitrogen (N) options in sub plots [Control (zero nitrogen); Recommended dose of N-RDN @150 kg N/ha (50 kg N/ha Basal + 2-equal splits at 37 days after sowing (DAS) and 84 DAS); Green Seeker (GS) based application of N @148 kg N/ha (GS); Urea super granules applied as basal @75 kg N/ha + GS based N application (USG); and Slow release fertilizer as 100% basal application @150 kg N/ha (SRF)] with 3-replications. The findings revealed that in both the seasons, both tillage and nitrogen management approaches significantly affected wheat growth, yield characteristics, and overall yield, whereas the time to anthesis and physiological maturity, and test weight remained unaffected. Within the spectrum of tillage practices, leaf area index (LAI) and yield attributes exhibited the trend PB&gt;ZT&gt;CT. PB recorded the highest grain yield (5159 kg/ha), followed by ZT (4916 kg/ha) and the lowest grain yield was observed with CT (4578 kg/ha). The wheat grain yields were 12.7% and 7.4% higher in PB and ZT, respectively, over to CT. Among nitrogen management options, the grain yield exhibited the pattern USG&gt;N150&gt;SRF&gt;GS&gt;N0. This study emphasizes that adopting conservation agriculture (CA) practices, particularly CA-based permanent beds using urea super granules (USG) for nitrogen management can improve wheat growth and yield.

Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacillus sp. Modulate Soil Exoenzyme Activities and Improve Wheat Growth

Phosphorus (P) is a vital mineral nutrient in agriculture and its deficiency results in reduced growth, yield, and grain quality in cereals. Much of the applied P in agriculture becomes fixed in soils, limiting its accessibility to plants. Thus, investigating sustainable strategies to release fixed P resources and enhance plant uptake is crucial. This study explored how plant-associated bacteria employ phosphate solubilizing mechanisms to improve P availability. The growth patterns of four bacterial strains, namely Bacillus subtilis ZE15 and ZR3, along with Bacillus megaterium ZE32 and ZR19, were examined in Pikovskaya’s broth culture with and without the addition of insoluble phosphorus (P). In the absence of P amendment, most strains reached a stationary growth phase by the fourth day. However, their responses diverged when exposed to P-amended media. Particularly, ZE15 demonstrated the highest P solubilization capability, achieving up to 130 µg mL−1 solubilization in vitro. All strains produced organic acids in Pikovskaya’s broth culture. A comparison of the influence of Ca3(PO4)2 revealed significantly greater organic acid quantities in the presence of insoluble P. Notably, strain ZE15 exhibited the highest phosphate esterase activity (3.65 nmol g−1 dry matter), while strain ZE32 showed the highest ß-D glucosidase activity (2.81 nmol g−1 dry matter) in the presence of insoluble P. The ability of Bacillus species to solubilize P in combination with increased exoenzyme activity in the rhizosphere could be used in future studies to support P uptake through enhanced solubilization and mineralization.

Physiological mechanism of sodium salicylate and folcisteine on alleviating salt stress in wheat seedlings

Soil salinization substantially hampers the growth and development of wheat, potentially leading to plant death in severe cases, thus reducing grain yield and quality. This phenomenon poses a significant threat to food security in China. We investigated the effects of two exogenous plant growth regulators, sodium salicylate and folcisteine, on the wheat physiology and key characteristics under salt stress using hydroponics method. The results indicated that both regulators effectively mitigated the growth inhibition of wheat under salt stress. We assessed morphological and physiological indexes, including antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], peroxidase [POD]) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in wheat after foliar application of sodium salicylate and folcisteine under salt stress. The findings revealed that sodium salicylate was more effective than folcisteine. However, folcisteine showed superior performance in reducing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and superoxide anion (O2−) level compared to sodium salicylate. Simultaneously, Concurrent application of both regulators synergistically enhanced their efficacy, yielding the most favorable outcomes. In addition, this study noted that while the initial effects of these regulators were not pronounced, their sustained application significantly improved wheat growth in stressful condition and alleviated the detrimental impacts of salt stress. This approach could effectively guarantee the food security and production in China.

Evaluation of potassium-enriched biochar and GA3 effectiveness for Improving wheat growth under drought stress

Osmotic stress is a significant concern in agricultural crop production as it can harm crop growth, development, and productivity. Agriculture crops are particularly vulnerable to osmotic stress due to their reliance on water availability for various physiological processes. Organic amendments like activated carbon biochar and growth hormone gibberellic acid (GA3) can play a vital role. However, the time needed is to modify the established amendment to achieve better results. That’s why the current study used potassium-enriched biochar (KBC = 0.75%) with and without GA3 (15 mg/L) as amendments under no osmotic stress and osmotic stress in wheat. Results showed that GA3 + KBC caused significant enhancement in germination (9.44%), shoot length (29.30%), root length (21.85%), shoot fresh weight (13.56%), shoot dry weight (68.38), root fresh weight (32.68%) and root dry weight (28.79%) of wheat over control under osmotic stress (OS). A significant enhancement in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll, while the decline in electrolyte leakage of wheat, also validated the effectiveness of GA3 + KBC over control in OS. In conclusion, GA3 + KBC is the most effective among all applied treatments for improving wheat growth attributes under no osmotic and osmotic stress. Further research is needed at the field level, focusing on various cereal crops, to establish GA3 + KBC as the optimal treatment for effectively mitigating the impacts of osmotic stress.

Potential of psychrotolerant rhizobacteria for the growth promotion of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Wheat is the second most important staple crop grown and consumed worldwide. Temperature fluctuations especially the cold stress during the winter season reduces wheat growth and grain yield. Psychrotolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) may improve plant stress-tolerance in addition to serve as biofertilizer. The present study aimed to isolate and identify PGPR, with the potential to tolerate cold stress for subsequent use in supporting wheat growth under cold stress. Ten psychrotolerant bacteria were isolated from the wheat rhizosphere at 4°C and tested for their ability to grow at wide range of temperature ranging from -8°C to 36°C and multiple plant beneficial traits. All bacteria were able to grow at 4°C to 32°C temperature range and solubilized phosphorus except WR23 at 4°C, whereas all the bacteria solubilized phosphorus at 28°C. Seven bacteria produced indole-3-acetic acid at 4°C, whereas all produced indole-3-acetic acid at 28°C. Seven bacteria showed the ability to fix nitrogen at 4°C, while all the bacteria fixed nitrogen at 28°C. Only one bacterium showed the potential to produce cellulase at 4°C, whereas four bacteria showed the potential to produce cellulase at 28°C. Seven bacteria produced pectinase at 4°C, while one bacterium produced pectinase at 28°C. Only one bacterium solubilized the zinc at 4°C, whereas six bacteria solubilized the zinc at 28°C using ZnO as the primary zinc source. Five bacteria solubilized the zinc at 4°C, while seven bacteria solubilized the zinc at 28°C using ZnCO3 as the primary zinc source. All the bacteria produced biofilm at 4°C and 28°C. In general, we noticed behavior of higher production of plant growth-promoting substances at 28°C, except pectinase assay. Overall, in vitro testing confirms that microbes perform their inherent properties efficiently at optimum temperatures rather than the low temperatures due to high metabolic rate. Five potential rhizobacteria were selected based on the in vitro testing and evaluated for plant growth-promoting potential on wheat under controlled conditions. WR22 and WR24 significantly improved wheat growth, specifically increasing plant dry weight by 42% and 58%, respectively. 16S rRNA sequence analysis of WR22 showed 99.78% similarity with Cupriavidus campinensis and WR24 showed 99.9% similarity with Enterobacter ludwigii. This is the first report highlighting the association of C. campinensis and E. ludwigii with wheat rhizosphere. These bacteria can serve as potential candidates for biofertilizer to mitigate the chilling effect and improve wheat production after field-testing.

Integrated effect of saline water irrigation and phosphorus fertilization practices on wheat (Triticum aestivum) growth, productivity, nutrient content and soil proprieties under dryland farming

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is the most common and oldest crop in Morocco and MENA region countries, cultivated both for human and animal nutrition. In Morocco, the irrigated perimeter of Tadla is the major wheat growing area affected by soil and groundwater salinity problematic. Previous studies have shown that phosphorus (P) fertilization can mitigate the negative effects of salinity on different crops. Thus, field experiments from the combination of four levels of irrigation water salinity and three P-fertilization rates were conducted during two successive growing seasons (between 2019 and 2021) at the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), Tadla, Morocco. Our main objective was evaluating the potential of P-fertilization to improve wheat growth, productivity and quality under saline water irrigation practices. The crop simulation model APSIM, was also tested to assess its performance in simulating wheat growth, productivity, phosphorus and nitrogen nutrient dynamics in soil-plant system under saline conditions. Results showed that appropriate P-fertilization under saline conditions contributed to minimize the effect of salinity and improved wheat growth and production. Also, it was found that increasing P-fertilization improved nutrient uptake, and consequently the plant nutrient content. A good agreement between the measured and APSIM model simulated growth and yield state variables, as well as the plant and soil-N content. However, a model uncertainty and relevant limitations in simulating plant- and soil-P content output were identified and discussed. Overall, our finding suggests that appropriate P-application minimizes the adverse effects of high soil salinity and can be adopted as a coping strategy in wheat cultivation under saline water irrigation practices.

Role of gibberellins, neem leaf extract, and serine in improving wheat growth and grain yield under drought-triggered oxidative stress.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-023-01402-9.

Improving Wheat Growth and Nutrient Uptake in Calcareous Soil: a Novel Approach with Carbon Dots as a Slow-Release Zinc Fertilizer

Improving Wheat Growth and Nutrient Uptake in Calcareous Soil: a Novel Approach with Carbon Dots as a Slow-Release Zinc Fertilizer

Potential role of algae extract as a natural stimulating for wheat production under reduced nitrogen fertilizer rates and water deficit

Deficit irrigation is a good strategy to increase water use efficiency. For this purpose, two field experiments were conducted during the winter seasons of 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 at Research and Production Station of the National Research Centre, El-Nubaria El-Behera Governorate, Egypt, to evaluate the response of wheat plant to algae extract foliar application (1.5 g/L) under different nitrogen fertilizerrates (80, 60 and 40 kg/faddan) amounting to 100%, 75% and 50% of the recommended rate and water deficit (100% and75% of ETc). Results show that, water deficit (75% of ETc) significantly decreased vegetative growth, yield and its components compared to unstressed plants. On the other hand, fertilizing wheat plants with 75 and 100% of the nitrogen dose significantly enhanced plant growth, yield and its components compared to fertilizing with 50% ofthe recommended nitrogen dose. Furthermore, algae extract treatment significantly increased the previous parameters. As for the third order interaction, results showed that, the highest values of yield components were recorded under 100% ETc and treated with (algae extract) under 100% of the recommended nitrogen dose. Moreover, under drought stress and lower nitrogen levels (60 and 40 kg/faddan), algae extract could alleviate partially the reduced effect of drought stress and lower nitrogen levels on growth and productivity. It could be concluded that foliar spray with 1.5 g/L of algae extract were found to be highly recommendedfor improving wheat growth and productivity under reduced nitrogen fertilizer rates (60 kg/faddan) and water deficit (75% of ETc).

Silicon Induces Heat and Salinity Tolerance in Wheat by Increasing Antioxidant Activities, Photosynthetic Activity, Nutrient Homeostasis, and Osmo-Protectant Synthesis.

Modern agriculture is facing the challenges of salinity and heat stresses, which pose a serious threat to crop productivity and global food security. Thus, it is necessary to develop the appropriate measures to minimize the impacts of these serious stresses on field crops. Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element on earth and has been recognized as an important substance to mitigate the adverse effects of abiotic stresses. Thus, the present study determined the role of Si in mitigating adverse impacts of salinity stress (SS) and heat stress (HS) on wheat crop. This study examined response of different wheat genotypes, namely Akbar-2019, Subhani-2021, and Faisalabad-2008, under different treatments: control, SS (8 dSm-1), HS, SS + HS, control + Si, SS + Si, HS+ Si, and SS + HS+ Si. This study's findings reveal that HS and SS caused a significant decrease in the growth and yield of wheat by increasing electrolyte leakage (EL), malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production; sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) accumulation; and decreasing relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll and carotenoid content, total soluble proteins (TSP), and free amino acids (FAA), as well as nutrient uptake (potassium, K; calcium, Ca; and magnesium, Mg). However, Si application offsets the negative effects of both salinity and HS and improved the growth and yield of wheat by increasing chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, RWC, antioxidant activity, TSP, FAA accumulation, and nutrient uptake (Ca, K, and Mg); decreasing EL, electrolyte leakage, MDA, and H2O2; and restricting the uptake of Na+ and Cl-. Thus, the application of Si could be an important approach to improve wheat growth and yield under normal and combined saline and HS conditions by improving plant physiological functioning, antioxidant activities, nutrient homeostasis, and osmolyte accumulation.

Metallic nanoparticles photodegraded antibiotics and co-application improved wheat growth and nutritional quality through stress alleviation

Antibiotics are now considered as emerging environmental pollutants due to their persistent nature and continuous exposure through irrigation with wastewater contaminated with antibiotics. The aim of present study was to assess the potential of nanoparticles for the photodegradation of antibiotics and subsequent stress alleviation via Titania oxide (TiO2) application for improvement in crop productivity and quality in terms of the nutritional composition. In the first phase, different nanoparticles, TiO2, Zinc oxide (ZnO), and Iron oxide (Fe2O3) with varying concentrations (40–60 mg L−1) and time–periods (1–9 days) were tested to degrade amoxicillin (Amx) and levofloxacin (Lev) @ 5 mg L−1 under the visible light. Results indicated that TiO2 nanoparticles (50 mg L−1) were the most effective nanoparticles for the removal of both antibiotics with maximum degradation of 65% and 56% for Amx and Lev, respectively, on the 7th day. In the second phase, a pot experiment was conducted in which TiO2 (50 mg L−1) was applied individually and along with antibiotics (5 mg L−1) in order to evaluate the effect of nanoparticles on stress alleviation for growth promotion of wheat exposed to antibiotics. Plant biomass was reduced by Amx (58.7%) and Lev (68.4%) significantly (p < 0.05) when compared to the control. However, co-application of TiO2 and antibiotics improved the total iron (34.9% and 42%), carbohydrate (33% and 31%), and protein content (36% and 33%) in grains under Amx and Lev stress, respectively. The highest plant length, grain weight, and nutrient uptake were observed upon application of TiO2 nanoparticles alone. Total iron, carbohydrates, and proteins in grains were significantly increased by 52%, 38.5%, and 40%, respectively compared to the control (with antibiotics). The findings highlight the potential of TiO2 nanoparticles for stress alleviation, growth, and nutritional improvement under antibiotic stress upon irrigation with contaminated wastewater.

The combined Application of Iron and Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria to enhance Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and yield

This study had the objective of evaluating the efficiency of prepared iron and phosphate biofertilizers in improving wheat growth and yield. To isolate bacteria that dissolve iron and phosphate, different soil samples were collected from the Erbil governorate, a total of eighteen iron solubilizing bacteria were selected on a modified agar medium and all isolates belonged to Pseudomonas fluorescence. Twenty-two isolates of phosphate solubilizing bacteria were recognized and referred to P. putida, P.fluorescens, and Bacillus megaterium using microscopical, cultural, physiological and molecular tests. According to iron and phosphate solubilizing efficiency test, the most efficient isolate of iron solubilizing bacteria (Pfl3) and P-solubilizin bacteria (Ppu2, Bm14) were selected for biofertilizers preparation&nbsp; Local and imported iron and phosphate biofertilizers were applied in pot experiment. Most biofertilizers were significantly increased yield components of wheat plants. Maximum shoot length, root length, tillers number,1000 seed weight, spike number and yield (99.60cm, 58.95cm, 22, 38.75g. 20, 5.52 ton/ha&nbsp; respectively) were recorded by incoculation with P. Flourence + P. putida +B. megatrium significantly higher than uninoculated control and treatments with imported biofertilizer. It can be concluded that local iron and phosphate solubilizing bacterial isolates can be used for Fe and P biofertilizers. &nbsp;&nbsp

Screening of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and their abilities of phosphorus solubilization and wheat growth promotion.

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can enhance plant growth and phosphorus (P) solubilization, it also has been reported to reduce the negative effects of overused agricultural fertilizer in farmland and protect the soil environment. However, the mechanism behind this interaction has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we screened out Pseudomonas moraviensis, Bacillus safensis, and Falsibacillus pallidus which can both solubilize P efficiently and produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) from sandy fluvo-aquic soils. The yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum) under PSB inoculation significantly increased up to 14.42% (P < 0.05) compared with the control treatment in phosphate fertilizer-used farmland. Besides promoting wheat growth, we found the labile P fraction in soil was significantly increased by over 122.04% (P < 0.05) under PSB inoculation compared with it in soils without, in parallel, the stable P fraction was significantly reduced by over 46.89% (P < 0.05). Furthermore, PSB inoculation increased the soil microbial biomass and activity, indicating that PSB screened out in this work performed a remarkable ability to colonize the soils in the wheat field. PSB from sandy fluvo-aquic soil improve wheat growth and crop productivity by increasing the labile P fraction and IAA content in the greenhouse and wheat field. Our work provides an environment and economy-friendly bacterial resource that potentially promotes sustainable agricultural development in the long term.

Effect of ZnO, Cu, and SiO2 Nanoparticles on Drought Resistance in Two Wheat Varieties: Kalar1 and Kalar2 during Seedling Stage.

Drought is abiotic stress that directly influences crop growth performance, including wheat. In this study, the nanotechnology method was applied to decrease the impact of drought on wheat growth. For this purpose, three types of drought resistance nanoparticles (Silicon dioxide (SiO2), Zinc oxide (ZnO), and Copper (Cu)) were used with two wheat varieties (kalar1 and kalar2) in the Garmian district. The results showed that nanoparticles increased specific leaf area, chlorophyll, soluble carbohydrate, catalase enzyme activity, phosphor, and potassium under drought stress compared with the control. SiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles had better impacts on some morphological and biochemical parameters than Cu. Different drought-resistance nanoparticles could be used to cope with drought impact in the Garmain district and improve wheat growth.

Plant Growth Stimulators Improve Two Wheat Cultivars Salt-Tolerance: Insights into Their Physiological and Nutritional Responses

Spermine (SPM) and salicylic acid (SA), plant growth stimulators, are involved in various biological processes and responses to environmental cues in plants. However, the function of their combined treatment on wheat salt tolerance is unclear. In this study, wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cvs. Shandawel 1 and Sids 14) plants were grown under non-saline and saline (6.0 and 12.0 dS m-1) conditions and were foliar sprayed with 100 mgL-1 SA and/or 30 mgL-1 SPM. Exogenously applied SA and/or SPM relieved the adverse effects caused by salt stress and significantly improved wheat growth and production by inducing higher photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids) content, nutrient (N, P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe, Zn, Cu) acquisition, ionic (K+/Na+, Ca2+/Na+, Mg2+/Na+) homeostatics, osmolyte (soluble sugars, free amino acids, proline, glycinebetaine) accumulation, protein content, along with significantly lower Na+ accumulation and chlorophyll a/b ratio. The best response was registered with SA and SPM combined treatment, especially in Shandawel 1. This study highlighted the recovery impact of SA and SPM combined treatment on salinity-damaged wheat plants. The newly discovered data demonstrate that this treatment significantly improved the photosynthetic pigment content, mineral homeostasis, and osmoprotector solutes buildup in salinity-damaged wheat plants. Therefore, it can be a better strategy for ameliorating salt toxicity in sustainable agricultural systems.