Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt
2
Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Egypt
Abstract
Salinity in soil and irrigation water represents a critical constraint for wheat production, adversely affecting growth, yield, and grain quality. Much genetic variability has been reported in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) for tolerance against salinity at different growth stages. Therefore, this field study evaluated the salinity tolerance of three Egyptian wheat cultivars (Misr1, Shandweel1, and Giza171) and the mitigating potentials of potassium humate (KH) soil application; and silica nanoparticles (Si-NPs) foliar spray against salinity stress. The experiment was set up in saline loamy sandy soil under drip irrigation at West-West El-Minia, Egypt (28.12°N, 30.01°E) during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons. The experimental design used is a split-split plot with three replications where wheat cultivars were assigned to main plots, the KH rates (0, 5, and 10 kg fed-1) to sub-plots, and Si-NPs concentrations (0,100, and 200 mg l-1) to sub-sub-plots. Results showed that the wheat cultivar Misr1 significantly outperformed the other two cultivars in the number of spikes m-², grain number per spike, grain yield (2.685 and 2.812 t per feddan in both seasons), N and P uptake in grains, N use efficiency (NUE), N recovery, and productivity of irrigation water (PIW). The cultivar Giza171 had higher straw yield and K uptake. Soil application of KH caused a substantial increase in all studied parameters. As the rates of KH increased from 0 to 10 kg fed-1, significantly improved spike number m-2, grain number spike-1, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, straw yield, NPK uptake in grains and straw, protein content, N recovery%, and PIW. Applying 5 kg KH per feddan resulted in the highest grain yields of 2.675 and 2.908 tons per feddan in the two seasons, respectively. All the studied traits were significantly increased by increasing the concentration of Si-NPs in the foliar spray solution from 0 to 200 mg l-1, with the highest rates producing the best results. The rate of 200 mg l-1 enhanced yield components such as spike number, grain number spike-1, 1000-grain weight, and grain yield, reaching 2.691 t fed-1 and 2.919 t fed-1 in the two seasons. Also, Si-NPs increased N, P, and K uptake in grains and straw, protein content, NUE, N recovery, and PIW, demonstrating comprehensive positive effects on wheat performance and quality. The research recommends combining 10 kg KH fed-1 and 200 mg Si-NPs l-1 with the Misr1 cultivar for optimal wheat production (2.932 and 3.264 tons of grain per feddan) in saline soils under drip irrigation systems.
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