Biochar alleviates single and combined effects of salinity and drought stress in faba bean plants

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of four biochar concentrations (0, 2, 5, and 8%) on single and interactive effects of salinity and drought stresses on the morphological, physiological, and photosynthetic parameters of faba bean plants. PCA analysis showed that plants displayed different behavior under non-stressed and stressed conditions. The most discriminating quantitative characters were related to plant biomass production and photosynthesis, especially shoot dry mass, root dry mass, plant fresh mass, internal CO2 concentration, net CO2 assimilation rate, and relative water content. The obtained results confirm the biochar's important role in promoting plant growth under normal or stressed conditions. Thus, a better understanding of the impact of biochar on plant growth under drought and salinity stresses will be beneficial for sustainable agriculture.

Keywords

• biochar
• drought
• faba bean
• gas exchange
• growth analysis
• salinity