Journal of Plant Nutrition

Study was aimed to examine the effects of growth media (GM) consisted of peat and different domestic materials on nutrition, growth and yield of tomato as alternative to cocopeat in Turkiye. For this, cocopeat(GM1), perlite(GM2), leonardite(GM3), vermicompost(GM4), and peat(GM5) were used as substrates. Each substrate was used as a control in itself, and a total of 17 combinations were tried by keeping the peat constant and mix-ing in 1:1, 1:2, 1:4 (V/V) ratios. The mixtures were filled in 7-liter pots where seedlings were planted, irrigated with water for the first week, and then irrigated with nutrient solution. The research was established as a 4-replica-tions pot experiment and the Solanum lycopersicum cv.Vitello tomato var-iety was used as the plant material. The nutrient solution was applied with a drip irrigation. The volume of the applied nutrient solution was adjusted manually to obtain 10-30% leaching ratio. In general, vermicompost and its mixtures with peat were the most effective growth media on leaf and fruit nutrient concentrations. The highest fruit yields were obtained from plants grown in solely peat and 1:1 peatþvermicompost medium. Similarly, the highest biomass weight was recorded from the plants grown under 1:1 peatþvermicompost mixture. In addition to this findings, it was observed that some peat-containing mixtures were also found to be com-petitive with widely used media in terms of the other parameters studied. As a result, it was seen that most of the peat containing GM especially peatþvermicompost mixtures, can be used in soilless tomato cultivation as alternative to cocopeat.

Microbial fertilizer provides nutrition to the soil while also improving its structure. Moreover, plants are grown healthy with the help of microbial fertilizer, including beneficial microorganisms and fertilizer. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of microbial fertilizers applied in different growth stages on yield and yield components of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). The study was conducted in Osmaniye, Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye, in 2019 and 2020 according to a split-plot design with 3 replications. Growth stages of peanut (beginning bloom, full bloom, beginning bloom + full bloom) were placed in main plots and microbial fertilizer doses (0, 50, 100, 150 cc ha-1) were placed in sub-plots. Consequently, the highest pod yield was observed in 100 and 150 cc ha-1 with the values of 603.67 kg da-1 in 2019 and 590.09 kg da-1 in 2020. For growth stages, full bloom treatments (605.34 kg da-1 in 2019 and 610.81 kg da-1 in 2020) came to the forefront in both years. The treatments of the beginning bloom (23.56% in 2019 and 23.77% in 2020) and 100 cc ha-1 (23.64% in 2019 and 23.88% in 2020) reached the maximum protein content in the studied years. Finally, the present study indicated that microbial fertilizers had positive effects on yield components of peanut, especially with treatment150 cc ha-1 which increased pod yield and protein content at full bloom stage.

Micronutrients play a crucial role in enabling crops and vegetables to achieve optimum productivity, improve storage quality, and overcome physiological disorders. The present study focuses on evaluating the effects of the foliar application of Zinc, Borax, and their combined application in enhancing onion yield and shelf life of Allium cepa L. (cultivars Red coral and Liberty). An experimental study was conducted for two years at Agriculture Research Unit, DIHAR Leh (34.1383˚N, 77.5725˚E) to assess the impact of different doses of ZnSO4, Borax, and their combination on onion yield and shelf-life improvement. Four treatments of ZnSO4 and Borax (T1: 0.5% ZnSO4; T2: 0.25% Borax; T3: 0.5% ZnSO4 þ 0.25% Borax and T4: control) were applied twice, once at 30 DAT and again after 45 DAT. Among four treatments, T3 showed a significant impact on growth parameters, yield, and onion shelflife followed by T1 and T2 compared to the control T4 treatment. Foliar sprays of ZnSO4 and Borax, rather than only ZnSO4 or Borax application, significantly improved plant height, leaves number, leaf area index, chlorophyll content, and onion yield. The storage examination revealed an important correlation between the concurrent application of ZnSO4 and Borax on onion, demonstrating a significant reduction in weight loss, an increase in Total Soluble Solids (T.S.S), and an extension of the onions’ shelf life. These findings hold the potential for significant implications in elucidating the optimal utilization of micronutrients for improving onion cultivation and preservation practices in cold desert regions of Ladakh.

The productivity of soybean in Assosa Zone particularly in Assosa and Bambassi districts is very low due to poor soil fertility management practices which resulted in severe soil acidity and low N-fixing inoculant in the soil. Hence, this experiment was conducted during the main cropping season of 2019 and 2020 in Assosa and Bambassi districts to evaluate the effect of biofertilizers, lime, and inorganic NPSB fertilizers on nodulation, growth, and yield of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill). Factorial combinations of four biofertilizer inoculants [without biofertilizer (B1), SB12 biofertil-izer at the recommended rate of 500 g ha −1 (B2), MAR1495 biofertilizer at the recommended rate of 500 g ha −1 (B3) and SB12 plus MAR1495 biofer-tilizers at their recommended rates (B4); two lime rates named without lime (L1) and lime at 5 ton/ha (L2); two inorganic NPSB fertilizers NPSB at 9.5-23-3.5-0.05 (F1) and NPSB at 19-46-7-0.1 (F2) at their recommended rates for soybean] were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Effective nodules, leaf area index, and grain yield were collected and analyzed using SAS 9.1.3 version software. Results of the experiment showed that effective nodules per plant, leaf area index, and grain yield were affected by biofertilizers, lime, inorganic fertilizers, and their interactions significantly (p < 0.01) at both locations and years. Finally, the interaction of SB12 þ MAR1495, lime at 5 t/ha and NPSB at 19-46-7-0.1, and the interaction of SB12, lime at 5 t/ha and NPSB at 19-46-7-0.1 gave the maximum grain yield at Assosa and Bambassi, respectively. ARTICLE HISTORY

Faba bean is the main source of protein and minerals for most of Ethiopia's population. However, soil fertility challenges production, and good agricultural practices are needed to increase yield and nutritional value. Pot and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of the sole and combined application of biostimulants on faba bean growth, yield, and seed nutrient content. Effects of sole and/or combined applications of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) (Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Rhizobium leguminosarum) and moringa leaf extract (MLE) were pre-evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Subsequently, selected treatments from this pot experiment were further evaluated on a local and Moti faba bean variety under field conditions on Nitisol and Vertisol. The biostimulant treatments significantly improved faba bean growth under greenhouse conditions. However, they did not influence the crop's growth, yield, and seed nutrient content under field conditions. Varieties significantly (P < 0.05) influenced yields and yield components obtained from Vertisol, as well as seed micronutrient contents from both soils. A local variety was found to have higher nutrient content. Meanwhile, seed yield had a positive correlation with seed iron (Fe) content and a negative correlation with seed selenium (Se) and phosphorus (P) contents. In addition, seed Se content strongly correlated with P content. From this study, it could be concluded that using biostimulants does not help in improving faba bean attributes under field conditions. However, further examination of a wider range of biostimulants under field conditions is required to uncover their realistic effectiveness for bean crop biofertilization. Keywords: Faba bean, Biostimulants, Soil type, Variety, Growth, Yield, Seed nutrient content

Due to the essential role of nano-fertilizers in crop production, studies have yet to be conducted to evaluate nano-molybdenum (Mo) application on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The present study assessed the efficacy of nano-Mo on the Mo-uptake, plant growth, and winter wheat yield. Wheat was grown in the pot experiment using four experimental groups (deionized water: C, nano potassium molybdate: NMoK, potassium molybdate: MoK, and ammonium molybdate: MoA), each with six replicate samples applied-foliar three times in a 30-day interval. The results revealed that NMoK improved Mo accumulation in grains, stomatal conductance, root dry weight, yield, and the number of spikes per pot of wheat compared with MoK. Additionally, NMoK treatment significantly increased wheat grain yield by 46.29%, 13.94%, and 17.70% compared with C, MoK, and MoA treatments, respectively. These results demonstrated that the nano-Mo application may enhance Mo-inefficient wheat growth, thus, increasing its productivity under acidic soil conditions. The principal component analysis (PCA) elucidates that all variables reside within the positively correlated variable domain. This encompasses parameters related to yield, photosynthetic machinery, and Mo uptake by various plant organs. Through cluster analysis, the nano-Mo group exhibited a more pronounced influence on the variables than the without-Mo and non-nano-Mo groups. Based on our findings, nano-Mo could be a suitable alternative to non-nano molybdenum fertilizers. This recommendation is particularly relevant for enhancing the growth of winter wheat crops cultivated in acidic soil conditions.

Jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) are phytohormones that have a significant role in the induction of plant defense against different stress factors. The role of these phytohormones was assessed on several physico�chemical properties of safflower plants subjected to salinity. JA and, espe�cially SA, caused plants had more Naþ and less Kþ content compared with the control plants. The JA and SA increased the catalase (CAT) activity, whereas significantly decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produc�tion and lipid peroxidation in safflower plants under salinity stress. No sig�nificant effects of phytohormones were observed on peroxidase (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities in safflower plants exposed to salinity stress. Data on plant fluorescence indicated that seed priming with JA and SA decreases ROS production in photosystems. The effect of JA and SA under salinity stress was observed to significantly influence the light�dependent phase (J-I and I-P phases of chlorophyll a fluorescence curve) in comparison to the rest of the electron transport chain in safflower plants. This finding was supported by the high improvement of quantum yield of reduction of the end electron acceptors at the photosystem I acceptor side (uRo) activity under severe salinity stress. The observation indicated that the SA treatment was more effective in safflower plants exposed to salinity stress in comparison to the JA treatment.

Modern agriculture has a major impact on natural resources in terms of exploitation and use. Land and water resources are being exploited by ever-increasing population pressures. High nutritional inputs such as mineral nitrogen (N) fertilization are required to achieve higher and sustainable yields. Although crop production depends on N fertilizers, the excessive and inefficient use of N inputs is a worldwide issue that increases production costs and pollutes the environment. Strategies to increase N use efficiency (NUE) would be the key to reducing these negative impacts by improved agronomic practices. To develop effective management approaches, it would be helpful to understand the effect of N on various aspects of crop growth, development, and physiological processes in crops. In this review, we highlighted recent agronomic progress made to improve NUE by adopting primarily agronomic practices that may be more environmentally and economically beneficial, including site-specific-nitrogen management , enhanced use efficiency of fertilizer resources, conservation approaches, drip fertigation, crop modeling, and precision agriculture. The first section discusses the morphological and physiological effects of N on crops while in the second section, agronomic strategies for growing crops with higher NUE are discussed.

Interaction between phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) alters plant nutrient concentrations and nutritional quality. In this regard, there are a limited number of studies on P and micronutrient relations in lettuce plants. In this study, the effects of Zn and Fe applications on plant growth, concentrations, and contents of P, Zn, Fe, copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) were determined in lettuce plants grown under increasing P rates. Lettuce plants grown under increasing P rates (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg kg −1 P) were treated with either sole or combined applications of 20 mg kg −1 Zn and 30 mg kg −1 Fe. Fresh and dry weights, P concentrations, and contents of lettuce were increased by P fertilization. With Zn and Fe applications , lettuce Fe contents were increased by medium P rates. Plant Zn contents were increased by P fertilization when the plant supplied Zn alone. Besides the highest P rate, Zn and Fe increased plant Zn content through P fertilization. Under no micronutrient condition, Cu concentration revealed insignificant changes, but its content was significantly increased by P application. Plant Mn concentration only increased by low P when the plant supplied Zn however Mn contents of lettuce were increased by P fertilization. In conclusion, even high P doses had no significant impact on Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn concentrations in lettuce plants. Plant Zn concentrations increased when Zn was applied with Fe. Likewise, Cu increased but manganese declined. This emphasizes the importance of simultaneous Zn and Fe fertilizer application, especially in Zn biofortification research. ARTICLE HISTORY

Dynamic crop models are powerful tools for evaluating crop responses to alternative management options. These models consist of various input parameters that need calibration before being implemented in a new environment. Sensitivity analysis (SA) has proven to be an efficient method for identifying dominant model parameters. This study aimed to determine influential parameters of the AquaCrop model for basil and also quantify output uncertainty under different nitrogen fertilizer rates. The Sobol’ SA method was employed to compute both first-order and total-order sensitivity indices. Results indicated that normalized water productivity (WP*) and crop coefficient (KcTr,x) were the most influential parameters across all treatments. Furthermore, as fertility stress increased, the interaction effects among parameters decreased. The temporal analysis of model output (biomass) revealed that parameter sensitivities were highly time-dependent. In addition, the uncertainty of predicted biomass was determined using combined violin and box plots. Results demonstrated that the optimal nitrogen fertilizer application rate extended the distribution of model output. In summary, these findings offer valuable insights for model simplification and effective decision-making.

Production sustainability is affected by climate change and land destruction, which exacerbates the challenge of food security. In addition to ensuring food security, fortification of products is a potential approach to enhance their nutritional quality and safety. Climate change has a significant effect on pre-harvest physiology. Water and soil salinity reduce the yield and quality of products. On the other hand, long-term drought stress reduces the supply of nutrients and cracks the pomegranate fruit. Therefore, it increases susceptibility to fungal diseases, which reduces commercial value. Pre-harvest factors significantly affect post-harvest physiology and quality characteristics related to storage life. Therefore, it is necessary to use efficient and cost-effective strategies to resist environmental stress and enhance yield. Meanwhile, the management of nutrients and plant growth regulators (PGRs) plays an essential role in plant resistance against abiotic stresses and determines their distribution and survival. Therefore, proper management practices are necessary for sustainable production. This paper reviewed and discussed recent advances regarding the foliar application of important nutrients, and PGRs, which increase the yield and quality of pomegranate fruit. In conclusion, foliar application of fertilizers, nanofertilizers, and nanoparticles include Fe, Zn, Ca, K, Br, Se and some PGRs such as salicylic acid and gibberellic acid, and kaolin can be used to increase yield, improve nutritional quality, reduce disorders and also decrease postharvest losses of pomegranate fruit during storage. However, further research in various commercial pomegranate cultivars is necessary to recommend for practical application at harvest and after cold storage of pomegranate fruit.

Deficiency symptoms of iron (Fe) appear in eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) plantations grown on different type of soils in Punjab, India. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to study the response of eucalyptus to application of Fe in soils of different textures. The treatments comprised of six levels of Fe as soil application (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 mg Fe kg −1 soil applied as chelated Fe through Fe-EDTA) and two foliar sprays (0.5% and 1% FeSO 4 �7H 2 O) replicated thrice in soils of three textures (loamy sand, sandy loam, and sandy clay) in a completely randomized design. Plant growth parameters, Fe concentration in soils, and Fe uptake by different plant parts were determined after nine months of eucalyptus growth. These parameters were significantly and positively influenced with the application of Fe. Dry weight of shoot and root was the highest at 30 mg Fe kg −1 whereas Fe concentration and uptake of Fe by shoot and root were the highest at 45 mg Fe kg −1. With 1% spray, the root dry weight, Fe concentration in leaves and its uptake by leaves and shoot were the highest. Loamy sand soil exhibited maximum shoot biomass and uptake response to applied Fe by eucalyptus. The Fe concentration in soil was positively and significantly related to Fe concentration (r ¼ 0.436 �-0.772 ��) and its uptake (r ¼ 0.643 ��-0.866 ��) by different plant parts. Conclusively, application of Fe to eucalyptus significantly increased the growth parameters , its uptake and response by the plants. ARTICLE HISTORY