Reducing the Adverse Effects of Salt Stress by Utilizing Compost Tea and Effective Microorganisms to Enhance the Growth and Yield of Wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) Plants

Abstract

One of the worst environmental conditions limiting crop plant productivity is salinity. As a result, ecologically friendly methods are urgently needed to boost the development and yield of wheat growing on saltine soils. Two-year field studies to examine the effects of applying compost tea (CT) and effective microorganisms (EMs; Azospirillum brasilense, Pseudomonas koreensis, and Bacillus circulans) on the growth and yield of two wheat cultivars, namely Sids 12 as a salinity susceptible cultivar and Misr 1 as a salinity resistant cultivar, under salt-affected soils. The findings corroborated our hypothesis that, in comparison to the control and the individual applications of EM or CT, the combined application (EM + CT) significantly improved growth, yield, uptake of nutrients, and photosynthetic characteristics. Furthermore, the combined application markedly (p ≤ 0.05) boosted the antioxidant enzymes. Our research showed that the combination treatment could increase soil microbial activity and activate critical soil enzymes, primarily dehydrogenase and urease. In general, the combination treatment has demonstrated a good effect in terms of stimulating plant development and raising element concentrations in wheat under salt stress.

Keywords

• wheat
• salinity stress
• beneficial microorganisms
• foliar application
• growth dynamics
• productivity