Organic amendments optimize Triticum aestivum var Zincol-16 performance under water stress through enhancement in physio biochemical traits, secondary metabolites and yield

作者：Raquia Amir, Summera Jahan, Muddassar Zafar, Muhammad Bilal Naeem, Sheeraz Usman, Anis Ali Shah, Muhammad Nazim, Abdulaziz Abdullah Alsahli · 发表于：Scientific Reports · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1038/s41598-025-99506-7 · 被引用次数：10 · 研究领域：Plant Micronutrient Interactions and Effects、Rice Cultivation and Yield Improvement、Crop Yield and Soil Fertility

Declining soil fertility due to unstable cultivation practices is a major challenge, particularly under water-limited conditions, leading to reduced crop productivity. Identifying sustainable soil amendments that enhance plant resilience and improve soil properties is crucial for ensuring food security in arid and semi-arid regions. Among these, activated acacia biochar has shown potential in improving soil quality. A pot-scale experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of four different soil amendments i.e., biochar amended soil (BAS), vermicompost amended soil (VCAS), perlite amended soil (PAS), activated biochar amended soil (ABAS) on wheat physiology and yield under moisture stress conditions. Soil amendments were incorporated at 2.5% and 5% (dry weight basis) by through mixing. Two water regimes were applied from booting to grain filling: (i) optimal moisture (80% of field capacity, FC) (ii) moisture stress (50% of FC). The highest improvement in water holding capacity was observed in soil amended with 5% ABAS which increased by 39.31% (16.3 ± 0.72) compared to non-amended soil (NAS). Under 50% FC, plants grown in 2.5% and 5% ABAS exhibited significantly higher total chlorophyll content (11%), stomatal area (42%), stomatal aperture (29%), and guard cell area (44%) than NAS. The maximum increase in photosynthetic rate (threefold and 4.2-fold higher) and transpiration rates (threefold and 3.2-fold higher) were observed in plants of 2.5% BAS and 5% ABAS, respectively ...