Incorporation of compost and biochar enhances yield and medicinal compounds in seeds of water-stressed Trigonella foenum-graecum L. plants cultivated in saline calcareous soils.

BACKGROUND: The combination of compost and biochar (CB) plays an important role in soil restoration and mitigation strategies against drought stress in plants. In the current study, the impact of CB was determined on the characteristics of saline calcareous soil and the productivity of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) plants. The field trials examined CB rates (CB0, CB10 and CB20 corresponding to 0, 10, and 20 t ha‒1, respectively) under deficit irrigation [DI0%, DI20%, and DI40% receiving 100, 80, and 60% crop evapotranspiration (ETc), respectively] conditions on growth, seed yield (SY), quality, and water productivity (WP) of fenugreek grown in saline calcareous soils. RESULTS: In general, DI negatively affected the morpho-physio-biochemical responses in plants cultivated in saline calcareous soils. However, amendments of CB10 or CB20 improved soil structure under DI conditions. This was evidenced by the decreased pH, electrical conductivity of soil extract (ECe), and bulk density but increased organic matter, macronutrient (N, P, and K) availability, water retention, and total porosity; thus, maintaining better water and nutritional status. These soil modifications improved chlorophyll, tissue water contents, cell membrane stability, photosystem II photochemical efficiency, photosynthetic performance, and nutritional homeostasis of drought-stressed plants. This was also supported by increased osmolytes, non-enzymatic, and enzymatic activities under DI conditions. Regardless of DI regimes, SY was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) improved by 40.0 and 102.5% when plants were treated with CB10 and CB20, respectively, as similarly observed for seed alkaloids (87.0, and 39.1%), trigonelline content (43.8, and 16.7%) and WP (40.9, and 104.5%) over unamended control plants. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the application of organic amendments of CB can be a promising sustainable solution for improving saline calcareous soil properties, mitigating the negative effects of DI stress, and enhancing crop productivity in arid and semi-arid agro-climates.

Alpha lipoic acid mitigates adverse impacts of drought stress on growth and yield of mungbean: photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidative defense mechanism.

Context: Exogenous use of potential organic compounds through different modes is a promising strategy for the induction of water stress tolerance in crop plants for better yield. Aims: The present study aimed to explore the potential role of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in inducing water stress tolerance in mungbean lines when applied exogenously through various modes. Methods: The experiment was conducted in a field with a split-plot arrangement, having three replicates for each treatment. Two irrigation regimes, including normal and reduced irrigation, were applied. The plants allocated to reduced irrigation were watered only at the reproductive stage. Three levels of ALA (0, 0.1, 0.15 mM) were applied through different modes (seed priming, foliar or priming+foliar). Key results: ALA treatment through different modes manifested higher growth under reduced irrigation (water stress) and normal irrigation. Compared to the other two modes, the application of ALA as seed priming was found more effective in ameliorating the adverse impacts of water stress on growth and yield associated with their better content of leaf photosynthetic pigments, maintenance of plant water relations, levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants, improved activities of enzymatic antioxidants, and decreased lipid peroxidation and H2O2 levels. The maximum increase in shoot fresh weight (29% and 28%), shoot dry weight (27% and 24%), 100-grain weight (24% and 23%) and total grain yield (20% and 21%) in water-stressed mungbean plants of line 16003 and 16004, respectively, was recorded due to ALA seed priming than other modes of applications. Conclusions: Conclusively, 0.1 and 0.15 mM levels of ALA as seed priming were found to reduce the adverse impact of water stress on mungbean yield that was associated with improved physio-biochemical mechanisms. Implications: The findings of the study will be helpful for the agriculturalists working in arid and semi-arid regions to obtain a better yield of mungbean that will be helpful to fulfill the food demand in those areas to some extent.

Deficit Irrigation Effects on Cotton Growth Cycle and Preliminary Optimization of Irrigation Strategies in Arid Environment.

With the changing global climate, drought stress will pose a considerable challenge to the sustainable development of agriculture in arid regions. The objective of this study was to explore the resistance and water demand of cotton plants to water stress during the flowering and boll setting stage. The experimental plot was in Huaxing Farm of Changji city. The plots were irrigated, respectively, at 100% (as the control), 90%, 85% and 80% of the general irrigation amount in the local area. The relationship between the various measured indexes and final yield under different deficit irrigation (DI) treatments was studied. The results showed that deficit irrigation impacted the growth and development processes of cotton during the flowering and boll setting stage. There was a high negative correlation (R2 > 0.95) between the maximum leaf area index and yield. Similarly, there was a high correlation between malondialdehyde content and yield. Meanwhile, 90% of the local cotton irrigation contributed to water saving and even increasing cotton yield. Furthermore, based on the results, the study made an initial optimization to the local irrigation scheme by utilizing the DSSAT model. It was found that changing the irrigation interval to 12 days during the stage could further enhance cotton yield and conserve resources.

Plant responses to co-occurring heat and water deficit stress: A comparative study of tolerance mechanisms in old and modern wheat genotypes.

Global climate change increases the likelihood of co-occurrence of hot and dry spells with increased intensity, frequency, and duration. Studying the impact of the two stresses provide a better understanding of tolerance mechanisms in wheat, and our study was focused on revealing plant stress responses to different severities of combined stress at two phenophases in old and modern wheat genotypes. During the stem elongation and anthesis stages, plants were exposed to four treatments: control, deficit irrigation, combined heat, and deficit irrigation at 31 °C (HD31) and 37 °C (HD37). The modern genotypes were less affected by deficit irrigation at stem elongation as they maintained higher photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and leaf cooling than old genotypes. When the HD37 stress was imposed during anthesis, the modern genotypes exhibited superior performance compared to the old, which was due to their higher photosynthetic rates resulting from improved biochemical regulation and a higher chlorophyll content. The plant responses varied during two phenophases under the combined stress exposure. Genotypes subjected to HD37 stress during stem elongation, photosynthesis was mainly controlled by stomatal regulation, whereas at anthesis it was predominated by biochemical regulation. These findings contribute to a deeper comprehension of plant tolerance mechanisms in response to different intensities of co-occurring hot and dry weather conditions.

An agro-physiological dataset on industrial tomatoes from nine years of field experiments conducted with alternative water-saving strategies in Mediterranean environments.

The availability of field experimental data plays a pivotal role in advancing agricultural research, particularly in the Mediterranean, where farmers face significant challenges due to water scarcity and changing climatic conditions. We present a multi-year homogenized dataset of agro-physiological traits collected on industrial tomatoes and focused on the effect of deficit irrigation (DI). The dataset has been compiled over nine years and comprises 100 experimental plots, where 32 DI strategies have been tested. Visual observations on tomato phenology and qualitative and quantitative production data have been collected in field and laboratory surveys, complemented with detailed information on pedo-climatic conditions and irrigation scheduling (timing and volume). Researchers can find in this dataset a rich source for calibrating and evaluating agro-physiological models and a reference basis to study the relationships between DI strategies, weather variability, and the performance of tomato growing systems. Agronomists from the public and private sectors can gain domain knowledge to support local farmers with the best DI strategies to achieve high yields while optimizing water use. Moreover, this dataset serves as ground truth for digital decision support systems, which need real-world data to enhance their accuracy in guiding farmers on efficient water use. This data source is intended to become a crucial asset for researchers, agronomists, and decision-makers in the Mediterranean as it bridges the gap between research and practice in an area where farmers are already striving with water scarcity for industrial tomato cultivation.

EDTA biodegradability and assisted phytoextraction efficiency in a large-scale field simulation: Is EDTA phasing out justified?

Enhanced phytoextraction of metal-polluted soils using EDTA is phasing out in favor of biodegradable chelants. However, these are too short-lived to be effective in the acclimated biodegrading soil environment established in long-term phytoextraction operations. We hypothesize that full-scale EDTA-enhanced phytoextraction can be both effective and environmentally safe, provided that soil leaching is prevented while EDTA persists in the soil profile. This was tested for 4 years in two sealed, well-monitored constructed lagoons (70-m3 each) packed with Cd-contaminated dredged sediment. Fast-growing, high-biomass, salinity-resistant eucalypts were planted in June 2010. Under controlled deficit irrigation, the 3-year average EC was 14.2 dS m-1. Summer leakage accounted for ∼1.2 % of the overall irrigation water and was prescribed for monitoring the composition of the soil solution. Altogether, 486 leachate and 261 suction-cap solutions were collected at average intervals of 5.5 days. EDTA was intermittently applied with summer irrigation, in multiple low doses at average seasonal concentrations of 1.1-9.2 mM. The soil solution EDTA biodegraded quickly after those applications were stopped. This cessation was timed well before the start of the rainy season. Spontaneous EDTA leaching during the three winters accounted for <0.02 % of the total 423 mol/basin applied. Prescribed summer leaching constituted ∼1 % of this total. Peak heavy metal (HM) concentrations in the leachate and suction-cap solutions (e.g., Cd, up to 18.5 and 14 mg L-1, respectively) were observed soon after EDTA application. Winter HM concentrations were not significantly different from the background. As the amounts of EDTA diminished, HM also disappeared from the soil solution, probably by adsorption. Eucalyptus occidentalis was by far the most efficient Cd sink of the five species tested,. The results of this study strongly support our hypothesis that EDTA-enhanced phytoextraction can be both effective and environmentally safe.

Effect of deficit irrigation combined with Bacillus simplex on water use efficiency and growth parameters of maize during vegetative stage.

The production of crops depending on many factors including water, nutrient, soil types, climate and crops types, water stress and drought is in one of the important factors affecting crop productivity. The experiment was conducted in pots to evaluate the effect of biofertilizers (Bacillus simplex) with deficit irrigations on the early development and growth of maize crop under greenhouse condition. Pre sowing seed was inoculated with strain of bacteria (B+/B-) and different irrigation levels (no stress: 100% (I1) and deficit irrigation: 75 (I2), 50 (I3), 25 (I4) % of required water amount to reach pot capacity) was performed. Data was collected on different morphological characteristics and root characteristic of maize crop. Highest plant height (125 cm), stem diameter (18.02 mm), leaf area (350 cm- 2), plant weight (180.42 g in fresh, 73.58 g in dry), root length (92.83 cm) root ((91.70 g in fresh, (28.66 g in dry) weight were recorded in pots applied with 100% irrigation followed by 75%. Bacillus treated plants showed significant increase in leaf area (214.20 cm- 2), plant fresh weight (91.65 g) and dry weight (42.05 g), root length (79.20 cm), root fresh (53.52 g) and dry weight (16.70 g) compared with control (without bacteria). Likewise highest relative water content of leaf was observed with I3 followed by I2 and I1 respectively. Highest water use efficiency was recorded as 0.67 g pot- 1 mm- 1 in I1 with B + treatment. Likewise, Bacillus inoculated pots resulted in increased water use efficiency (0.44 g pot- 1 mm- 1) compared with no application (0.36 g pot- 1 mm- 1). It can be endorsed from the outcome that Bacillus inoculation increased plant biomass, root biomass of maize and water use efficiency during early growth stage of maize despite of water stress and can be used under limited water condition for crop combating during moderate to lower stress conditions.

Simulation of Daily Transpiration of Tomatoes Grown in Venlo-Type Greenhouse Substrates.

An appropriate water supply strategy is imperative for obtaining tomatoes of a high yield and quality; the lack of one has caused resource wastage and quality deterioration. To determine the suitable irrigation amount and simulate daily transpiration under these optimal irrigation conditions, a two-year greenhouse cultivation experiment was conducted over 2022-2023. Commencing at anthesis, three distinct irrigation gradients were triggered and designated as irrigation controls with the lower limits set at 80% (T1), 70% (T2), and 60% (T3) of the substrate water-holding capacity. We determined the optimal irrigation amount by ranking the treatments using the TOPSIS method, balancing the tomato yield and quality. A segmented daily transpiration model under optimal irrigation conditions driven by crop and environmental factors was established using the Marquardt method and data from 2022, and the model was validated using data from 2023. The results indicated that T2 was the optimal irrigation amount, with the water use efficiency increased by 18.0%, but with a 10.9% decrease in yield, while the quality indices improved significantly. The R2 values of the segmented model in the flowering and fruit-setting stage and the picking stage were 0.92 and 0.86, respectively, which could provide support for optimized water management for tomato planting in greenhouse substrate cultivation.

Partial root-zone drying subsurface drip irrigation increased the alfalfa quality yield but decreased the alfalfa quality content.

Water shortage seriously restricts the development of grassland agriculture in arid land and dramatically impacts alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) quality content and hay yield. Reasonable irrigation methods have the potential to enhance the alfalfa quality content, hay yield, and thus quality yield. Whether partial root-zone drying subsurface drip irrigation (PRDSDI) improves the alfalfa quality yield, quality content, and hay yield is still unknown compared with conventional subsurface drip irrigation (CSDI). The effects of PRDSDI compared with that of CSDI and the interaction with irrigation volume (10 mm/week, 20 mm/week, and 30 mm/week) on the alfalfa quality yield were investigated in 2017-2018 and explained the change in quality yield with the alfalfa quality content and hay yield. Here, the results showed that PRDSDI did not increase the alfalfa quality yield in 2 years. PRDSDI significantly increased acid detergent fiber by 13.3% and 12.2% in 2018 with 10-mm and 20-mm irrigation volumes and neutral detergent fiber by 16.2%, 13.2%, and 12.6% in 2017 with 10-mm, 20-mm, and 30-mm irrigation volumes, respectively. PRDSDI significantly decreased the crude protein by 5.4% and 8.4% in 2018 with 10-mm and 20-mm irrigation volumes and relative feed value by 15.0% with 20-mm irrigation volume in 2017 and 9.8% with 10-mm irrigation volume in 2018, respectively. In addition, PRDSDI significantly increased the alfalfa average hay yield by 49.5% and 59.6% with 10-mm and 20-mm irrigation volumes in 2018, respectively. Our results provide a counterexample for PRDSDI to improve crop quality. Although there was no significant improvement in average quality yield by PRDSDI, the positive impact of average hay yield on quality yield outweighed the negative impact of quality content. Thus, it has the potential to improve quality yields. The novel findings regarding the effects of PRDSDI on quality yield are potentially favorable for the forage feed value in water-limited areas.

Moderate Water Stress Impact on Yield Components of Greenhouse Tomatoes in Relation to Plant Water Status.

The scarcity of water resources affects tomato production. Deficit irrigation may optimize water management with only a low reduction in yield. Deficit irrigation scheduling based on applied water presented no clear conclusions. Water stress management based on plant water status, such as water potential, could improve the scheduling. The aim of this work was to evaluate the physiological and yield responses of different tomato cultivars to deficit irrigation. Three experiments were carried out in 2020 and 2022 at the University of Seville (Spain). "Cherry" and "chocolate Marmande" cultivars with an indeterminate growth pattern were grown in a greenhouse. Treatments were: Control (full irrigated) and Deficit. Deficit plants were irrigated based on water potential measurements. Moderate water stress did not significantly reduce the yield, although it affected other processes. Fruit size and total soluble solids were the most sensitive parameters to water stress. The latter increased only when persistent water stress was applied. However, truss development and fruit number were not affected by the level of water stress imposed. Such results suggest that moderate water stress, even in sensitive phenological stages such as flowering, would not reduce yield. Deficit irrigation scheduling based on plant water status will allow accurate management of water stress.

Response of soil respiration and carbon budget to irrigation quantity/quality and biochar addition in a mulched maize field under drip irrigation.

BACKGROUND: Biochar addition strongly alters net carbon (C) balance in agroecosystems. However, the effects of biochar addition on net C balance of maize field under various irrigation water quantities and qualities remains unclear. Thus, a field experiment combining two irrigation levels of full (W1) and deficit irrigation (W2 = 1/2 W1), two water salinity levels of fresh (S0, 0.71 g L-1 ) and brackish water (S1, 4 g L-1 ), and two biochar addition rates of 0 t ha-1 (B0) and 60 t ha-1 (B1) was conducted to investigate soil carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions, maize C sequestration and C budget. RESULTS: Compared with W1, W2 reduced average cumulative CO2 emissions by 6.5% and 19.9% for 2020 and 2021, respectively. The average cumulative CO2 emissions under W1S1 treatments were 5.4% and 22.3% lower than W1S0 for 2020 and 2021, respectively, whereas W2S0 and W2S1 had similar cumulative CO2 emissions in both years. Biochar addition significantly increased cumulative CO2 emissions by 17.8-23.5% for all water and salt treatments in 2020, and reduced average cumulative CO2 emissions by 11.9% for W1 but enhanced it by 8.0% for W2 in 2021. Except for W2S1, biochar addition effectively increased total maize C sequestration by 6.9-14.8% for the other three treatments through ameliorating water and salt stress over the 2 years. Compared with W1S0, W1S1 did not affect net C sequestration, but W2 treatments significantly decreased it. Biochar addition increased net C sequestration by 39.47-43.65 t C ha-1 for four water and salt treatments for the 2 years. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that biochar addition is an effective strategy to increase both crop C sequestration and soil C storage under suitable water-saving irrigation methods in arid regions with limited freshwater resources. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Assessment of soil mulching field management, and deficit irrigation effect on productivity of watermelon varieties, and AquaCrop model validation.

Watermelon productivity in the Arba Minch irrigation scheme has been hampered by water scarcity, with only the Lady Bells watermelon variety being cultivated in the area. This challenge can be mitigated by adopting water-saving irrigation techniques and selecting water stress-resistant varieties. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the combined impact of soil mulching and deficit irrigation on the productivity of various watermelon varieties and validate the AquaCrop model. The experiment employed a randomized complete block design with two levels of water application (100 % SMD and 50 % SMD), two mulching practices (non-mulching and mulching), and four watermelon varieties: Lady Bells (V1), Green Pearl (V2), Kaolack (V3), and Koloss (V4). Soil physical properties and crop-related data were used to calibrate the AquaCrop model. Straw mulching, on average, conserved 64.50 mm and 262.75 mm of water under 100 % and 50 % water application levels, respectively. The minimum and maximum land productivity averages were 6.2 tonsha-1 (T13) and 17.6 tonsha-1 (T2), while water productivity ranged from 5.2 kgm-3 (T1) to 12.4 kgm-3 (T10). Lady Bell watermelon varieties displayed high sensitivity to water stress, with a 1.27 yield response factor under non-soil mulching treatment with 50 % water application. The mean benefit-cost ratio varied from 1.52 (T13) to 2.90 (T10). The average values of RMSE, NSE, and R2 for the AquaCrop model were 0.70, 0.65, and 0.80, respectively, indicating the model's acceptability in predicting the effects of mulching and deficit irrigation on watermelon productivity. Overall, the use of straw mulching combined with 50 % deficit irrigation, particularly for Green Pearl varieties, emerged as the most productive watermelon cultivation method in the Arba Minch region when facing limited irrigation water. Future research will focus on assessing the impact of deficit irrigation during various watermelon growth stages.

Field study of irrigation strategies with treated wastewater and saline water on heavy metal accumulation in barley grain.

This study examines the effects of three irrigation regimes with a combination of saline water and treated wastewater on the accumulation of heavy metals in barley grains. A field experiment was designed as a split-split plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design, in which treatments were different irrigation regimes (50%, 70%, and 100% full irrigation) and irrigation water types (saline water [SW], treated wastewater [TW], mixed water resources [MWR], and alternative irrigation [AI]). After cultivation and harvesting of the barley crop, the grain yield, 1000-grain weight, and contents of heavy metals in the grains were measured. The grain yield was enhanced by TW alone, MWR, and AI to 12.8%, 5%, and 9.5% under 70%-deficit irrigation; and 58.3%, 21.7%, and 8.7% under full irrigation, respectively. Based on the guidelines for safe limits of heavy metals in edible plants and livestock feed, the barley grains were safe for livestock and toxic for humans. The trend of heavy metal contents in the grains was Fe > Zn > Pb > Cu ≥ Cr > Cd. Irrigation with SW compared with TW increased Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cr contents in the grains to 11.75%, 10.97%, 5.22%, 19.15%, 3.45%, and 9.21%, respectively. The amounts of toxic elements of Cd and Pb were maximized by using MWR, whereas the Cr content in the grain was maximized by using AI. There were no significant difference in the metal uptake by the grains among all irrigation regimes in any irrigation water resource. However, compared with the other irrigation regimes, the full irrigation resulted in lower Zn, Cu, and Cd contents, whereas the 50%-deficit irrigation led to lower Pb and Cr contents in the grains. Therefore, irrigation with TW is recommended based on the grain yield, whereas AI is suggested due to lower Cu, Pb, and Cd contents in the grain, and MWR is recommended due to lower Cr content. Furthermore, full and 50%-deficit irrigation regimes are recommended to, respectively, maximize grain yield and minimize the toxic metal contents in the grain. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Mixed saline water and treated wastewater and alternative irrigation enhanced grain yield. Saline water versus treated wastewater increased the grain heavy metal contents. Alternative irrigation decreased Fe, Cu, Pb, and Cd amounts in the grain. Grain Cu content had strong relationship with irrigation regime. 50%-deficit irrigation minimized Pb and Cr contents in the grain.

Nitrogen reduction combined with ETc irrigation maintained summer maize yield and increased water and nitrogen use efficiency.

Introduction: High rainfall and excessive urea application are counterproductive to summer maize growth requirements and lower grain yield and water/nitrogen (N) use efficiency. The objective of this study was to determine whether ETc irrigation based on summer maize demand and reduced nitrogen rate in the Huang Huai Hai Plain increased water and nitrogen use efficiency without sacrificing yield. Methods: To achieve this, we conducted an experiment with four irrigation levels [ambient rainfall (I0) and 50% (I1), 75% (I2), and 100% (I3) of actual crop evapotranspiration (ETc)] and four nitrogen rates [no nitrogen fertilizer (N0), recommended nitrogen rate of urea (NU), recommended nitrogen rate of blending controlled-release urea with conventional urea fertilizer (BCRF) (NC), and reduced nitrogen rate of BCRF (NR)] in 2016-2018. Results: The results show that reduced irrigation and nitrogen rate reduced Fv/Fm, 13C-photosynthate, and nitrogen accumulation both in the kernel and plant. I3NC and I3NU accumulated higher 13C-photosynthate, nitrogen, and dry matter. However, 13C-photosynthate and nitrogen distribution to the kernel was decreased from I2 to I3 and was higher in BCRF than in urea. I2NC and I2NR promoted their distribution to the kernel, resulting in a higher harvest index. Compared with I3NU, I2NR increased root length density by 32.8% on average, maintaining considerable leaf Fv/Fm and obtaining similar kernel number and kernel weight. The higher root length density of I2NR of 40-60 cm promoted 13C-photosynthate and nitrogen distribution to the kernel and increased the harvest index. As a result, the water use efficiency (WUE) and nitrogen agronomic use efficiency (NAUE) in I2NR increased by 20.5%-31.9% and 11.0%-38.0% than that in I3NU, respectively. Discussion: Therefore, 75%ETc deficit irrigation and BCRF fertilizer with 80% nitrogen rate improved root length density, maintained leaf Fv/Fm in the milking stage, promoted 13C-photosynthate, and distributed nitrogen to the kernel, ultimately providing a higher WUE and NAUE without significantly reducing grain yield.

Effect of furrow irrigation systems and irrigation levels on maize agronomy and water use efficiency in Arba Minch, Southern, Ethiopia.

Improved irrigation water management is the main strategy to improve water use efficiency in areas with limited water resources. Optimizing scarce water by selecting suitable furrow irrigation systems in arid and semi-arid parts of Ethiopia is rarely practiced. A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of conventional, alternate, and fixed furrow irrigation systems with three levels of irrigation (100%ETc, 75%ETc, and 50%ETc) on maize agronomy and water use efficiency in Arba Minch, Southern, Ethiopia. The experimental study had nine treatments under a randomized complete block design with three replications. Furrow irrigation system and deficit irrigation levels had a significant impact (P < 0.01) on maize agronomy, grain yield, and water use efficiency. The maximum grain yield of 7.99 ton ha-1 obtained under a conventional furrow irrigation system at 100%ETc was significantly higher than the other treatments and the minimum grain yield of 4.24 ton ha-1 obtained under a fixed furrow irrigation system at 50%ETc was significantly inferior as compared to other treatments. The maximum values of crop, field, and expense water use efficiencies were 2.49, 2.80, and 1.72 kg m-3 under conventional furrow irrigation at 50%ETc, respectively. The minimum values of crop, field, and expense water use efficiencies were 1.47, 1.28, and 1.05 kg m-3 under a fixed furrow irrigation system at 100%ETc, respectively. A conventional furrow irrigation system at 50%ETc can increase 0.64 ha net additional irrigable land pre each hectare compared to the conventional furrow irrigation system at 100%ETc. Water saving up to 50%ETc in conventional furrow irrigation can solve the water shortage problem by improving water use efficiency with insignificant yield reduction.

Effect of Drought on the Future Sugar Content of Wine Grape Varieties till 2100: Possible Adaptation in the Hungarian Eger Wine Region.

The most significant risk for viticulture is that the sugar content of the grapes will increase in the future due to rising temperatures. As a result, it will be possible to produce wines with increasing alcohol content in the future. Excessively high alcohol content can significantly reduce the wines' marketability and viticulture's profitability. Our study seeks to answer how the expected drought in the Southern and Central regions of Europe will affect the future change in the sugar content of grapes. The degree of dryness was examined using the dryness index in the study. Finally, it was analyzed how the dryness index affects the past and future occurrence of maximum sugar content for six grape varieties. The probability of the occurrence of maximum sugar content for most vine grape varieties will decrease in the near future. However, in the distant future, there is a likelihood that the occurrence of maximum sugar content will increase again. If we can maintain the DI ≥ -10 condition with regulated deficit irrigation, the probability of the occurrence of maximum sugar content may decrease significantly in the near future. Ensuring moderate dryness is the only way to achieve the proper sugar content.

Response of Maize Seedlings to Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) under Drought Stress.

Recently, the use of nanofertilizers has received a great deal of attention in managing plants under biotic and abiotic stresses. However, studies that elucidate the role of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) in regulating maize tolerance to drought stress are still at early stages of development. In this study, plants that were treated with SiO2NPs (0.25 g/L as foliar spray) displayed considerable improvement in the growth indices, despite being subjected to drought stress. In addition, the action of SiO2NPs led to a considerable rise in the levels of chlorophylls, proline, cell membrane integrity, leaf water content, and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and guaiacol peroxidase (G-POX)). In contrast, an inverse trend was seen in the oxidative injury, the total amount of soluble sugars, and the activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX). At the same time, carotenoids were unaffected in SiO2NPs-treated and non-treated plants under drought stress. The results of the molecular investigation that was conducted using qRT-PCR showed that the relative expression of the D2 protein of photosystem II (PsbD) was elevated in SiO2NPs-treated plants in response to drought stress, while the expression of the osmotic-like protein (OSM-34) and aquaporin (AQPs) was downregulated in SiO2NPs-treated plants in response to drought stress. This research could pave the way for further investigations into how SiO2NPs boost plant resistance to drought stress.

Fuzzy evaluation on the integrated benefit of regulated deficit irrigation for pear-jujube tree based on information entropy.

Based on the experimental data of regulated deficit irrigation at different growth stages on field pear-jujube tree (Zizyphus jujube Mill.) during 2005-2007 in Northwest China, the regulated deficit irrigation integrated benefits (RDIIB) with different water deficit treatments at different growth stages were evaluated and classified using a model. The results in 2005-2006 showed that the RDIIB under single-stage water deficit at fruit maturity stage were better than the other treatments, and the best RDIIB were gained under moderate (IVSD) or severe deficit (IVMD) at fruit maturity stage. The results in 2006-2007 also indicated that the four double-stage water deficit schemes have the better RDIIB, and the best scheme was severe water deficit at bud burst to leafing stage plus moderate water deficit at fruit maturity stage. The RDIIB evaluation model based on information entropy method provided the reliable technical guidance for the optimal RDI scheme of pear-jujube tree.

Effects of the extraction techniques on the chemical composition and bioactive properties of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) plants grown under different cropping and irrigation regimes.

The present study aims to determine the combined effect of cropping system and irrigation regime on the chemical composition and bioactive properties of lemon balm aerial parts. For this purpose, lemon balm plants were grown under two farming systems (conventional farming vs organic farming) and two irrigation levels (full irrigation vs deficit irrigation) and harvested twice throughout the growing period. The collected aerial parts were subjected to three different methods of extractions, namely infusion, maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction and the obtained extracts were evaluated in terms of chemical profile and bioactivities. Five organic acids with varied composition among the tested treatments were identified in all the tested samples for both harvests, namely, citric, malic, oxalic, shikimic and quinic acid. Regarding phenolic compounds composition, the most abundant ones were rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid A isomer I and hydroxylsalvianolic E, especially for the maceration and infusion extraction methods. Full irrigation resulted in lower EC50 values than deficit irrigation only in the treatments of the second harvest, while variable cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effects were recorded in both harvests. Finally, in most cases the lemon balm extracts has similar or better activity than the positive controls, while the antifungal activity of lemon balm extracts was stronger than the antibacterial effects. In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that the implemented agronomic practices, as well as the extraction protocol may significantly affect the chemical profile and bioactivities of lemon balm extracts, suggesting that both the farming system and the irrigation schedule may improve the quality of the extracts depending on the implemented extraction protocol.