Azeem Ahmad, Mai Wenxuan, Gul Bilquees, Rasheed Aysha
State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China.
Dr. Muhammad Ajmal Khan Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.
BMC Plant Biol. 2025 Aug 28;25(1):1148. doi: 10.1186/s12870-025-06420-1.
In dry-land regions, salinity stress and poor soil structure can cause significant challenges to agricultural productivity, posing a growing threat to global food security. This study explores the performance of two halophytic plant species Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis) and Salt-bush (Atriplex canescens) under both fresh water and saline water irrigation, combined with four soil amendment treatments: manure + sandy, compost + sandy, clay + sandy, and sandy soil. Saline irrigation led to a marked decline in key chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, such as chlorophyll content (SPAD), the quantum efficiency of photochemical processes (Φ), apparent electron transport rate (ETR), and maximal photochemical efficiency (F/F) in sandy soil. Photosynthetic pigments, including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids, were similarly reduced by 20 to 35% under saline conditions in sandy soil. However, oxidant and antioxidant enzyme activities, such as hydrogen peroxide (HO), malondialdehyde (MDA), protein content, and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), increased by 15 to 28%, while catalase (CAT) activity decreased by 17%, under the same conditions. Saline irrigation also altered ion balance, with a rise in chloride levels and in reduced nitrate and ammonium concentrations in sandy soil. Remarkably, growth traits such as plant height, dry weight per plant, and overall yield of both species increased under saline irrigation in sandy soil. Yet, soil amendments, particularly manure + sandy and compost + sandy, alleviated the harmful effects of salinity, reducing the impact on all measured parameters. Under saline irrigation, plant height and yield were notably 20 to 37% higher with these amendments than other treatments. The findings highlight that soil amendments with manure and compost significantly improve plant productivity under saline conditions, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to farming in dry-land regions. This study provides valuable insights into enhancing agricultural production by fostering resilient halophytes in challenging environments.
在干旱地区，盐分胁迫和不良的土壤结构会给农业生产力带来重大挑战，对全球粮食安全构成日益严重的威胁。本研究探讨了两种盐生植物物种草木犀（Melilotus officinalis）和滨藜（Atriplex canescens）在淡水和咸水灌溉条件下的表现，并结合了四种土壤改良处理：粪肥+砂土、堆肥+砂土、黏土+砂土和砂土。咸水灌溉导致砂土中关键叶绿素荧光参数显著下降，如叶绿素含量（SPAD）、光化学过程的量子效率（Φ）、表观电子传递速率（ETR）和最大光化学效率（F/F）。在砂土的盐渍条件下，光合色素，包括叶绿素a、叶绿素b、总叶绿素和类胡萝卜素，同样减少了20%至35%。然而，在相同条件下抗氧化剂和抗氧化酶活性，如过氧化氢（HO）、丙二醛（MDA）、蛋白质含量和抗坏血酸过氧化物酶（APX）增加了15%至28%，而过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性下降了17%。咸水灌溉还改变了离子平衡，砂土中氯离子水平上升，硝酸盐和铵浓度降低。值得注意的是，在砂土的咸水灌溉条件下，两种植物的生长性状如株高、单株干重和总产量均有所增加。然而，土壤改良，特别是粪肥+砂土和堆肥+砂土，减轻了盐分的有害影响，降低了对所有测量参数的影响。在咸水灌溉下，使用这些改良剂处理的植株高度和产量比其他处理显著高出20%至37%。研究结果表明，用粪肥和堆肥改良土壤可显著提高盐渍条件下的植物生产力，为干旱地区农业提供了一种可持续且环保的耕作方法。本研究为在具有挑战性的环境中培育具有抗性的盐生植物以提高农业产量提供了宝贵的见解。
