Department of Soil Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khoramabad, Iran.
Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Gorgan, Iran.
BMC Plant Biol. 2024 Sep 30;24(1):900. doi: 10.1186/s12870-024-05624-1.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is a valuable medicinal plant, but its growth can be significantly impacted by drought stress. This study aimed to mitigate the adverse effects of water deficit stress on lemon balm biomass by integrating poultry manure compost, poultry manure biochar, NPK fertilizer, Trichoderma harzianum, Thiobacillus thioparus, and elemental sulfur as soil amendments. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement, consisting of three replicates. It included a water deficit stress factor at three levels (95-100%, 75-80%, and 55-60% of field capacity) and a soil amendment treatment factor with eleven different fertilizer levels. Treatments included control (no amendment), NPK fertilizer, poultry manure compost, poultry manure biochar, and combinations of these with T. harzianum, T. thioparus, and elemental sulfur under various water deficit levels. Water deficit stress significantly reduced photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence, relative water content, and antioxidant enzyme activity, while increasing membrane permeability and lipid peroxidation in lemon balm plants. However, the integrated application of organic, biological, and chemical amendments mitigated these negative impacts. The combined treatment of poultry manure compost, poultry manure biochar, NPK fertilizer, T. harzianum, T. thioparus, and elemental sulfur was the most effective in improving the morpho-physiological properties (1.97-60%) and biomass (2.31-2.76 times) of lemon balm under water deficit stress. The results demonstrate the potential of this holistic approach to enhance the resilience of lemon balm cultivation in water-scarce environments. The integration of organic, biological, and chemical amendments can contribute to sustainable agricultural practices by improving plant morphological and physiological properties and plant performance under drought conditions.
柠檬香蜂草（Melissa officinalis L.）是一种有价值的药用植物，但它的生长会受到干旱胁迫的显著影响。本研究旨在通过整合家禽粪便堆肥、家禽粪便生物炭、NPK 肥料、哈茨木霉、硫杆菌和元素硫作为土壤改良剂来减轻水分亏缺胁迫对柠檬香蜂草生物量的不利影响。该实验在温室中进行，采用完全随机设计，因子设置为三个水平（田间持水量的 95-100%、75-80%和 55-60%）和一个土壤改良剂处理因子，有十一种不同的肥料水平。处理包括对照（无改良剂）、NPK 肥料、家禽粪便堆肥、家禽粪便生物炭以及这些与哈茨木霉、硫杆菌和元素硫在不同水分亏缺水平下的组合。水分亏缺胁迫显著降低了柠檬香蜂草植物的光合色素、气体交换参数、叶绿素荧光、相对水含量和抗氧化酶活性，同时增加了膜通透性和脂质过氧化。然而，有机、生物和化学改良剂的综合应用减轻了这些负面影响。在水分亏缺胁迫下，家禽粪便堆肥、家禽粪便生物炭、NPK 肥料、哈茨木霉、硫杆菌和元素硫的组合处理最有效地改善了柠檬香蜂草的形态-生理特性（提高 1.97-60%）和生物量（提高 2.31-2.76 倍）。结果表明，这种整体方法有潜力提高柠檬香蜂草在缺水环境中的适应能力。有机、生物和化学改良剂的整合可以通过改善植物形态和生理特性以及植物在干旱条件下的性能，为可持续农业实践做出贡献。
