Muhammad Farooq

Sultan Qaboos University | SQU · Department of Plant Sciences

Immediate detection and prediction tools for interactive stresses are essential to avoid yield losses. This study investigated the capability of hyperspectral (HSI) and chlorophyll fluorescence imaging (CFI) to characterize individual and interactive frost (−4 ◦C) and drought (40% soil moisture content) stress responses at the booting stage of whea...

Background: Wheat grain quality, an important determinant for human nutrition, is often overlooked when improving crop production for stressed environments. Climate change makes this task more difficult by imposing combined stresses. The scenarios relevant to climate change include elevated CO2 concentrations (eCO2 ) and extreme climatic events, s...

Cold and drought stress events are detrimental to plant growth and development in wheat, leading to severe damage and yield losses. This meta-analysis explored and covered all the major comparisons of (1) cold, drought, and combined cold and drought stresses and (2) spring and winter wheat. The risks of cold and drought associations in spring and w...

Salinity is one of the important abiotic stresses that challenge crop productivity worldwide. Crop nutrition management and exogenous application of proline may help improve plant salt tolerance. This study investigated the effects of exogenous proline (100 mM) and phosphorus (10 and 100 mg kg-1 sand) application on the growth, phosphorus content a...

In this study, the response of bread wheat genotypes to drought stress was evaluated on physiological and morphological basis. A group of 53 bread wheat genotypes, of diverse origin and morphology, was grown under well-watered and drought stress conditions. The tested genotypes were evaluated for carbon assimilation, water use efficiency, and morph...

Climate change and global warming have increased the frequency of extreme heat stress events that severely affect plant production. Photosynthesis is an intricate heat-sensitive physiological process. Heat stress affects CO2 assimilation, photochemical reactions, D1 and D2 protein turnover, and chlorophyll biosynthesis. Heat stress-induced damage t...

Purpose: Oilseed production under semiarid conditions in Pakistan is under the threat of thermal stress at the early and later stages of the crop. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of sulfhydryl thiourea on the performance and quality of late sown camelina. Methods: The study comprised of; i) sowing time (ST): ST1=10 November and ST...

Decreased light conditions due to cloud cover and smog pollution severely limit crop cultivation and production. Reduced light interception coupled with irregular rainfall caused damage to major crops’ yield at their critical growth stages, especially at the post-silking stage in maize (Zea mays L.). This study was conducted in underground soil col...

This 5-year study (2012-17) aimed to evaluate the impacts of sesbania (Sesbania rostrata Bremek. & Oberm) brown manure (SBM) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) in rice (Oryza sativa L.)-based rotations on weeds, soil properties, and rice yield. Four rice production systems; (1) wheat – rice (control), (2) wheat – rice + SBM, (3) wheat – sorghum-rice,...

Bioremediation of organic contaminants has become a major environmental concern in the last few years, due to its bio-resistance and potential to accumulate in the environment. The use of diverse technologies, involving chemical and physical principles, and passive uptake utilizing sorption using ecofriendly substrates have drawn a lot of interest....

Nickel is a heavy metal that has adverse effects on plants. The present study aimed to evaluate the morpho-physiological responses of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) to Pseudomonas strains (Pseudomonas fluorescens strain 150 and 159, and Pseudomonas putida strain 10) inoculation under Ni-contaminated soil (0, 75, 100, 150 mg Ni per kg of soil). G...

Drought stress is one of the major yield limiting factors in grain legumes. The severity and intensity of drought stress are predicted to increase in the future. Drought stress in grain legumes at any stage causes significant yield reduction owing to a decrease in stand establishment (misfunctioning of germination enzymes like proteases and amylase...

Climate-change-driven global warming is posing a serious threat to the productivity of vegetable and field crops — more so in summer crops. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) is one of the leading summer vegetables; however, this is often exposed to an extremely high temperature causing significantly detrimental effects on its growth and yield...

Crop production worldwide is affected by the water deficit. Drought is a long irregular dry period, which happens in an area when it consistently receives below-average precipitation. In this study, impact of drought stress (irrigation after 80 (normal or control irrigation) and 160 (stress condition) mm evaporation from class A pan) on the growth...

The notion of food security is a global phenomenon that impinges on every human. Efforts to increase productivity and yields have historically degraded the environment and reduced biodiversity and ecosystem services, with the greatest impact on the poor. Sustainable agriculture—farming in sustainable ways based on an understanding of ecosystem serv...

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br.) is a climate-smart cereal crop for environments prone to drought and heat stresses. Pearl millet is cultivated in Pakistan on marginal soils with phosphorus (P) deficiency, which significantly decreases its productivity. Moreover, P fixation in the country’s calcareous soils is another major constraint...

Frequent and intense drought episodes impact agricultural productivity by challenging plant water status. The maintenance of hydraulic conductivity plays a key role in deciphering stress-induced impacts. Understanding drought-induced changes to root anatomical traits is important to improve plant drought adaptation. However, little is known about t...

Frequent and intense drought episodes impact agricultural productivity by challenging plant water status. The maintenance of hydraulic conductivity plays a key role in deciphering stress-induced impacts. Understanding drought-induced changes to root anatomical traits is important to improve plant drought adaptation. However, little is known about t...

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) play a vital role in alleviating biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. They enable plant growth under adverse circumstances and help improving the yield through several direct or indirect mechanisms. With the aid of PGPR, plant can fix atmospheric nitrogen, produce phytohormones, enhance water and nutrie...

During the last few decades, multiple agronomic innovations have been introduced to boost up the yield potential of agricultural crops. Among these innovations, use of conservation agriculture approaches, and use of resource conservation technologies, e.g. direct-seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.), zero-tillage wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), laser land l...

Frequent and intense drought episodes impact agricultural productivity by challenging plant water status. The maintenance of hydraulic conductivity plays a key role in deciphering stress-induced impacts. Understanding drought-induced changes to root anatomical traits is important to improve plant drought adaptation. However, little is known about t...

Cadmium(Cd) is one the leading environmental contaminants. The Cd toxicity and its potential stabilization strategies have been investigated in the recent years. However, the combined effects of biochar and microorganisms on the adsorption of Cd and maize plant physiology, still remained unclear. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to evaluate...

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) mineralization are important biogeochemical processes associated with soil fertility. These processes are influenced by physically, chemically, and biologically stabilized organic carbon (C) fractions, the mechanisms of which are not well-known. The present study was conducted to evaluate the combined effe...

Nitrogen pollution in the environment has become a global concern. Being multidimensional and complex, nitrogen pollution requires a comprehensive package of efforts for its effective management. This article reviews the existing technologies for the treatment and management of nitrogen pollution, water soluble or gaseous, originating from wastewat...

The low cost of plant bioregulators can help improve plant defense systems under stress conditions. In this study, the potential role of thiourea to ameliorate the adverse effects of heat stress in canola was evaluated. The 2-year study comprised of (i) exogenous thiourea applications (1000 mg L−1); no applications, hydropriming, water spray, thiou...

Algae are photosynthetic prokaryotic or eukaryotic ubiquitously found group of organisms. Their enormous potentiality in coping up with various environmental crises has been well documented. Algae have proven to be ideal for biomonitoring of water pollution and help in removing the pollutants with their process of bioremediation apart from the prod...

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) growth and yield are severely compromised by boron (B) deficiency in alkaline calcareous soils of Pakistan. Biochar produced through low-temperature pyrolysis helps to maintain acidic functional groups in such soils. The aim of this study was to enhance B availability in biochar-amended alkaline calcareous soils in...

Soil-derived nutrients by plant roots can be limited under increasing environmental stresses such as higher incidence and duration of heat and drought, which affect agricultural productivity and environmental quality in multiple ways. These unprecedented challenges urge the adoption of novel and resource-efficient strategies to close yield gaps. Fo...

With the intensification of crop production pressure and the urgency of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, semi-arid regions have increasingly become one of the key areas of research. However, due to the relatively low indigenous soil organic matter (SOM), it is worth pondering whether the long-term introduction of cropland management measures wi...

Photosynthesis is crucial for the survival of all living biota, playing a key role in plant productivity by generating the carbon skeleton that is the primary component of all biomolecules. Salinity stress is a major threat to agricultural productivity and sustainability as it can cause irreversible damage to photosynthetic apparatus at any develop...

Rice is one of the leading cereal crops feeding millions across the globe. Various factors including stand establishment methods (direct seeding, transplanting), water management (continuous flooding, intermittent flooding (alternate wetting and drying), aerobic culture), plant population, soil type and its management, weed-crop competition duratio...

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a moderately salt-tolerant plant. This study was conducted to evaluate responses of two contrasting alfalfa genotypes (OMA-84-salt sensitive and OMA-285-salt tolerant) to components (Na+, and/or Cl−) of salt stress. Alfalfa genotypes were exposed to Na+−salts (without chloride), Cl-−salts (without sodium), and NaCl (...

Background: Zinc (Zn) deficiency and low soil fertility are the major factors of low yield in chickpea. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Zn application and plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) (endophyte Enterobacter sp. MN17) on soil health and aboveground biomass of desi and kabuli chickpea under natural field conditions. Zn...

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the leading vegetable crops around the world. However, its growth, yield, and quality are reduced by several abiotic stresses such as salt stress. This study, consisted of two independent experiments was conducted to examine the effects of salt stress in potato and influence of nanoparticle-sized zinc (ZnO-NP...

Basmati rice grown in Pakistan has a world over importance owing to its fragrant long grains and premium cooking quality. Further, the rice plays a significant role in fetching high foreign exchange and feeding nearly 200 million people in the country. The conventional rice system of Pakistan is characterized with puddling, enormous water supplies,...

Barley-based cropping systems (BCS) alter barley production by influencing weed infestation rates and soil nutrient dynamics. This two-year field study evaluated the interactive effects of five BCS and five weed control strategies (WCS) on soil properties and the growth and yield of barley. Barley was planted in five different cropping systems, i.e...

Drought poses a severe threat to global wheat production and world food security. This study was conducted to evaluate bread wheat genotypes for drought tolerance based on different morphological, biochemical, and physiological traits. The responses of 25 bread wheat genotypes of Pakistani origin were evaluated based on morphological, biochemical,...

In the Loess Plateau region of China, winter wheat often undergoes prolonged cloudy days without rain which may affect the grain yield and quality. This study examined the impacts of shading and drought conditions during the grain filling period of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on photosynthesis, grain yield and quality traits in a greenhouse...

Globally, increasing water scarcity and higher production costs are the challenges in the cultivation of conventional transplanted rice (TPR). Under such conditions, dry direct-seeded rice (DDSR) with water-saving techniques like alternate wetting and drying (AWD) or aerobic rice system (AR) is a promising solution. Continuous flooded (CF) and wate...

Soil fertility has become a major issue in the Loess Plateau, China. The present study explored the effects of maize straw biochar application on soil nitrogen (N) fractions, microbial biomass carbon (C), and wheat yields in a calcareous, sandy loam soil in the Loess Plateau region. Six maize straw biochar (BC) application rates were applied to the...

Heat stress is causing serious problems in crop production, leading to catastrophic losses in crop yield worldwide. The study was conducted to evaluate the role of thiourea to ameliorate the negative impact of high-temperature stress on plant growth, seed yield, and seed oil content in camelina. The study comprised of (i) camelina genotypes, Austra...

Zinc deficiency impedes wheat productivity and is major cause of malnutrition in humans consuming wheat products low in Zn, especially in developing countries, which experience low rates of soil and foliar Zn application owing to high cost of chemical Zn fertilisers. This pot study was conducted to evaluate the potential of seed priming with Zn for...

Climate change is adversely affecting wheat yields as the associated rising temperatures damage its reproductive physiology. Heat stress affects wheat at various stages of growth, but flowering and reproductive phases are the most sensitive to high temperatures as flower opening usually occurs in cooler environments. Heat stress at meiosis causes o...

Like all other sectors, higher education in the agriculture sector has been affected by the COVID-19. Both teachers and students have faced problems in communication, learning and motivation during online education. The major issues include the limited internet access coupled with poor supply of electricity especially in rural areas, in most of the...

In the present study, attapulgite (ATP)-maintained nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) at different Fe/ATP mass ratios (1:3 and 1:5) was synthesized by liquid phase reduction for its use to remove chromium Cr(VI) in aqueous solution. The morphology, crystalline structure, chemical composition, and valent states of these nZVI/ATP composites were evalu...

In modern agriculture and globalization, the release of trace metals from manufacturing effluents hinders crop productivity by polluting the atmosphere and degrading food quality. Sustaining food safety in polluted soils is critical to ensure global food demands. This review describes the negative effects of trace metals stress on plant growth, phy...

Establishing rice (Oryza sativa L.) crops by direct-seeding requires less water and less labor than transplanting. However, farmers need to know the net effects of suites of practices. So, evaluations of direct-seeding should also consider its interactions with other factors, including a practice, such as seed-priming. This paper reports on an expe...

Low nitrogen use efficiency is one of the major problems causing low yield in mashbean (Vigna mungo L.). In this study, the influence of sorghum mulch and nitrogen (N) application rates in improving the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), soil health and performance of mashbean was evaluated. Mashbean seeds were sown with two levels of nitrogen 50 and 7...

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the leading staple and strategic food crop in the Sultanate of Oman; however, the national wheat production can meet less than 1% of the domestic requirements. The balance is met through imports from Australia, Canada, Russia, and Argentina. However, reliance on imported wheat alone may put Oman at risk in the...

In this study, the responses of bread wheat genotypes of Omani origin to salt stress (40, 80, and 120 mM NaCl) were evaluated to elucidate the salt tolerance mechanism. The tested bread wheat genotypes varied significantly for their responses to different levels of salt stress. A significant decrease in plant growth and carbon assimilation was note...

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the staple food for millions of people in Asia and the world; however, it is also the largest consumer of freshwater resources worldwide. More than 75% of the world's rice is grown under flooded conditions. However, the long-term sustainability of this flooded system is threatened by the rapid changes in climatic events ca...

Earlier emergence and vigorous seedling stand are key indicators of crop perfor�mance. Seed priming as cost-effective hydration technique is central to enhance crop vigor to optimize input use in production and affect grain nutritional quality and food security in rice systems. Poor seedling growth and sub-optimal plant density associated with dela...

In this study, the performance of three different statured wheat cultivars viz. Faisalabad-2008 (standard height and low tillering, SHLT), Td-1 (low height and high tillering, LHHT) and Galaxy-2013 (standard height and high tillering, SHHT) was evaluated under five wheat crop establishment methods including broadcasting, line sowing, no-till sowing...

Cadmium (Cd) pollution in farmland soils is a serious concern due to its devastating effects on living organisms. This requires developing effective strategies to inhibit the Cd absorption and accumulation by vegetables. In this study, the influence of soil applied biochar (BC) (10 and 30 g kg⁻¹) and foliage applied selenium (Se) fertilizer (1 and...

Background In northern Iran and other cold regions, winter freezing injury and resultant yield instability are major limitations to strawberry production. However, there is scarcity of information on the physiological and biochemical responses of strawberry cultivars to freezing stress. This study aimed to investigate the physiological and biochemi...

High weed infestation and low nitrogen (N) recovery are among the major causes of lower yield in dry-seeded rice (DSR) compared with transplanted rice. The effects of N rate and planting density dynamics on rice productivity and N-use efficiency (NUE) have been extensively studied in transplanted rice. However, information on the combined impact of...

Quinoa is a climate-resilient food grain crop that has gained significant importance in the last few years due to its nutritional composition, phytochemical properties and associated health benefits. Quinoa grain is enriched in amino acids, fiber, minerals, phenolics, saponins, phytosterols and vitamins. Quinoa possesses different human-health prom...

Weed infestations significantly reduce the growth and yield of field crops. Herbicides are mostly used for weed management due to their quick results. However, resistant biotypes to available herbicides are rapidly increasing around the word. This situation calls for the development of alternative weed management strategies. Crop rotation and allel...

Heat stress can have devastating effects on agricultural production and crop productivity. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of exogenously applied thiourea on heat stress tolerance through osmotic adjustment in camelina (Camelina sativa L.). The study comprised of three factors: i) Heat stress; HS0=25°C (control) and HS1=35°C (stress...

Cowpea is a highly nutritious grain legume crop, cultivated mostly in a semi-arid environment and frequently confronts sporadic dry periods during different stages of plant growth, which drastically reduce its productivity. The current study was enacted to evaluate the biochar application and seed priming induced drought tolerance in cowpea. The se...

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify physiological and morphological traits linked with drought tolerance and variation among different bread wheat genotypes. Methods: In this study, 20 different bread and durum wheat genotypes were characterized on morphological, biochemical, and physiological traits under well-watered (70% water holding...

Sustainable production of grain legumes can ensure global food and protein security. Grain legumes contribute 33% of the global protein requirement of the human diet. Most grain legume crops are grown in rainfed and arid environments. Compared with cereals, few studies have focused on the yield improvement of food legumes. Over the decades, breedin...

The synergistic effects of biochar and microorganisms on the adsorption of Cd and on cereal plant physiology remained unclear. Therefore, this experiment was performed to evaluate the combined effects of biochar pyrolyzed from (maize-straw (BC 1 ), cow-manure (BC 2 ), and poultry-manure (BC 3 ), and microorganisms including ( T. harzianum L. and B....

Drought is a limiting factor of durum wheat production. Silicon (Si) is known by its positives effects on plant growth and development under these conditions. Thus, the current study was designed first to i) assess silicon impact on 11 durum wheat varieties performance under osmotic stress using four treatments in hydroponic trial: T1 = no stress,...

Tillage is among the most important soil management practices, which exert strong impacts on weed flora composition in different cropping systems. The large-scale adoption of tillage and cropping systems warrants thorough investigation regarding their impacts on weed flora composition. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess weed flora compositio...