Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
MSC Student, Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
2
Assistant professor, Department of soil Science and Engineering, Razi University
3
Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
Abstract
Some organic modifiers can be used to reduce the effects of alkalinity on plants. In this research, the effects of simultaneous application of biochar in the soil and foliar spraying with humic acid on the reduction of alkalinity stress in basil were investigated. A factorial experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with three replications. The factors included alkalinity stress at three levels (0, 50, and 100 mM as NaHCO3 with irrigation water), biochar (at three levels of 0, 1.5, and 3% by weight mixed with soil) and humic acid at three levels (0, 150, and 300 mg/L as foliar spray). The highest shoot and root dry weight (0.88 and 0.39 g, respectively), shoot height (23.5 cm), root length (19.5 cm) and relative water content (86.4 %) were obtained with application of 3% of biochar and 300 mg/L of humic acid, without alkalinity. Also, the highest amount of proline (3.13 μmol/g) and soluble sugars (6.08 mg/g) were found under severe alkalinity stress (100 mM of NaHCO3), without the use of biochar and humic acid. The highest amounts of chlorophylls a and b and carotenoids (0.79, 0.55 and 0.41 mg/g, respectively) were obtained without alkalinity stress and the use of biochar at the level of 3% and humic acid at the level of 300 mg g/L. In general, the simultaneous use of biochar and humic acid is a simple, suitable and cheap method to reduce the adverse effects of alkaline stress in basil.
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