Document Type : Research Paper

• ..

Background:

 The increasing global population and the concomitant demand for greater food production, combined with the scarcity of arable land, have underscored the imperative to enhance agricultural productivity. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple cereal for global food security, serving as a primary food source for both humans and livestock across the globe. The growth and yield of wheat are significantly influenced by effective agricultural management, particularly soil fertility management. Considering the widespread distribution of sandy soils worldwide, tapping into their productive capacity presents a promising avenue to address global food shortages. Despite cultivation, sandy soils often exhibit low productivity and are susceptible to soil degradation processes due to their low content of clay, silt, and organic matter, as well as poor structural properties. Water and nutrient deficiencies result in low biological activity within these soils, thereby limiting plant and microbial growth. Improving sandy soils can be challenging, especially in the context of climate change and severe droughts. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop suitable strategies for their conservation and reclamation.

Objective

This study investigated the effects of bentonite clay (6.25 and 12.5 g kg-1), carboxymethylcellulose (3 and 5 g kg-1), and mixture of two isolates of endophytic bacteria (Pseudomonas sp) and rhizosheath (Pantoea agglomerans) (10 and 20 ml kg-1), on soil properties, growth, yield, and yield components of the ‘Sirvan’ wheat cultivar under greenhouse conditions in a completely randomized design.

Methodology

the effective treatments on soil properties were identified during an incubation period. Five selected combined treatments, including B6.25C5M20; B12.5C5M10; B12.5C5M20; B12.5C3M20, and B12.5C3M10, along with positive and negative controls, were prepared in a total of 7 treatments with 3 replications and 21 pots. Five wheat seeds were sown in each pot, and morphological traits and yield were measured.  The obtained data were analyzed using Minitab 21 software through analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan test. Additionally, cluster analysis was performed to identify natural patterns in the data. Ultimately, the treatment that demonstrated the highest agricultural performance and was closest to the positive control was selected as the best treatment.

Finding

Results showed that the treatment B12.5C5M20 had the greatest impact on wheat yield and yield components, significantly increasing spike length (5.33-7.33 cm), root length (2.13-9.67 cm), number of spikelets (10.66-15.3), number of grains per spike (8.33-20.67), thousand-grain weight (10.26-25.13 g), biological yield (2.39-6.28 g), and grain yield (0.47-2.43 g) compared to the control. plant height and harvest index, although increased compared to the control, did not show significant differences.

Conclusion

The use of these soil conditioners, due to their various positive effects such as high water holding capacity, increased water use efficiency in the soil, adsorption of essential plant nutrients on their surface, and consequently increased cation exchange capacity, enhanced soil aggregate stability, increased soil porosity and reduced bulk density, increased microbial activity, increased production of plant hormones and various enzymes, and consequently increased nutrient uptake, significantly improves the physical and chemical properties of the soil. As a result, plant growth and yield are enhanced. Given the scarcity of water resources and the poor quality of sandy soils, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, the use of these conditioners for the sustainable management of water and soil resources and increasing the production capacity of low-yielding sandy soils is more vital and indispensable than ever.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization; Ahmad Heidari and Alireza Raheb; methodology, Ahmad Heidari, Alireza Raheb and Hasan Etesami; validation, Ahmad Heidari and Mohammad Reza Bihamta; formal analysis, Mohammad Hoseini Badashiani; investigation, Mohammad Hoseini Badashiani and Khodabakhsh Goodarzvand Chegini; writing—original draft preparation, Mohammad Hoseini Badashiani; writing— Ahmad Heidari; visualization, Mohammad Hoseini Badashiani; supervision Ahmad Heidari and Alireza Raheb; project administration, Ahmad Heidari; funding acquisition, Ahmad Heidari and Alireza Raheb. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.” All authors contributed equally to the conceptualization of the article and writing of the original and subsequent drafts.

Data Availability Statement

Data available on request from the authors.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Soil Science Department of University of Tehran for providing equipment’s and Facilities, and Dr. Aida Bakhshi Khorramdareh, for her participants of the present study.

Ethical considerations

The authors avoided data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct.

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest