Synergistic effect of salicylic acid and biochar on biochemical properties, yield and nutrient uptake of triticale under water stress

Abstract

In arid regions, one of the practical solutions to overcome the water shortage and increasing soil fertility is application of salicylic acid (SA) with biochar. A pot experiment was conducted to consider the combination of SA with biochar on biochemical and physiological parameters of triticale as a factorial experiment using a completely randomized design (RCD) with four replicates. Treatments consisted of irrigation regime (normal irrigation and irrigation according to 50 % field capacity), salicylic acid application [without SA (SA0) and 3 mM SA (SA3)] and fertilizer type including without fertilizer (control), application of 50 kg ha−1 phosphorus (P), and application of wheat biochar (WB), cotton biochar (CB) and sesame biochar (SB) (2 % w/w). Under water stress, CB at SA0 and SA3 could improve the total chlorophyll by 119.4 and 70.6 %, compared to control, respectively. Also, carotenoid content in SA3 treatments increased in the range of 75.8 to 34.6 % compared to SA0. CB at SA3, increased catalase activity by 11.4 % compared to SB. At SA3, the highest RWC was observed in WB and CB by 26.7 and 18.1 % increases compared to SA0, respectively. At SA3, CB could enhance grain yield by 24.8 % under water stress. Under water stress, at SA3, remobilization efficiency from 63.2 % in control was enhanced to 69.2, 74.3 and 68.1 % in WB, CB and SB, respectively. CB and WB had better chemical properties in terms of EC, N, P, K and micronutrients compared to SB. These properties of BC and WB enhanced their ability to increase the nutrient availability, biochemical properties and consequently the grain yield enhancement, especially when applied with SA3.

Keywords

• Chlorophyll
• Catalase
• Cotton biochar
• Relative water content
• Remobilization efficiency