INFLUENCE OF SUPPLYING SOME SAFE NATURAL HONEY BEE PRODUCTS ON FENNEL PLANTS GROWTH, SEEDS YIELD, OIL PRODUCTION AND ITS COMPONENTS

Honeybee products as propolis (Pp) and royal jelly (RJ) are natural mixtures and powerful source of safe nutrients that could be safely used in agriculture as substitution of poisonous and dangerous chemical fertilizers. The impact of using them either solely or in combination as foliar application on some fennel morphological traits, fruit and oil yield and its essential components and chemical components was studied. RJ and Pp were foliar sprayed at three rates i.e. 0.0, 0.2, 0.4% and 0, 3, 6 g l-1 respectively in sole and combination treatments. All records assured that the application of both materials (RJ, Pp) have a positive useful impact on all traits studied either used individually or in combination. The moderate concentrations of both materials individually or in combination (0.2 % RJ, 3 g l-1 Pp) gave the highest records of growth and yield characters as well as anethole in the oil compared with other treatments with more superiority of RJ results over those of Pp in sole treatments even though RJ concentration is less than that of Pp especially in oil percentage and umbels number. On the other side, the highest concentration of either RJ (0.4%) or moderate one of Pp (3 g l-1) as sole treatment or in combination gave the highest records of most chemical composition. Also 0.4% RJ with 6 g l-1 Pp produced the highest percentage of estragole. Hence, fennel plants can be safely grown and highly produced by these safe natural materials without the help of the chemical fertilizer

Compost Improving Morphophysiological and Biochemical Traits, Seed Yield, and Oil Quality of <i>Nigella sativa</i> under Drought Stress

This study aimed to determine the effects of compost amendment on the soil properties, as well as the morphophysiological responses, seed yield, oil content, and fatty-acid profile. of Nigella sativa plants under drought stress conditions. In a split-plot design, the field experiment was carried out during two seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022), involving three irrigation regimes (named I100, I75, and I50 of crop evapotranspiration) with three levels of compost application (C0, C15, and C30). Soil porosity, permeability, pore geometry, water-holding capacity, organic content, and soil cation exchangeable capacity were improved in response to applied compost levels. The growth, physiology, biochemistry, and yield characteristics of Nigella sativa plants were positively affected by compost addition but negatively affected by increasing water stress severity. Deficit irrigation regimes increased osmoprotectant substances (i.e., proline, total free amino acids, carbohydrates, and total soluble sugar). Compared to the control (I100), deficit irrigation (I50) reduced fixed and essential oil by 16.64% and 39.57% over two seasons. Water stress increased the content of saturated fatty acids, while unsaturated fatty acids decreased. Compost application of (C30) resulted in a significant increase in seed yield, fixed oil, and essential oil of Nigella sativa plants by 34.72%, 46.55%, and 58.11% respectively, compared to the control (C0). Therefore, this study concluded that compost amendment improved soil properties and significantly mitigated the detrimental effects of drought on Nigella sativa plants, resulting in a considerable increase in seed yield and its oil content, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are distinguished by their beneficial effects on human health

Small-Sized Nanophosphorus Has a Positive Impact on the Performance of Fenugreek Plants under Soil-Water Deficit Stress: A Case Study under Field Conditions

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient necessary for plant growth, development, and reproduction. Two field experiments were carried out in 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 on P-deficient soil to evaluate the impact of foliar fertilization with nanophosphorus (nP) on growth, yield, and physio-biochemical indices, as well as trigonelline content of fenugreek plants under deficient irrigation (dI) stress (a deficit of 20 and 40% of crop evapotranspiration; dI-20 and dI-40). The growth and yield traits, leaf integrity (relative water content and membrane stability index), photosynthetic pigment contents, leaf and seed P contents, and stem and leaf anatomical features significantly decreased under dI-20, with greater reductions recorded under dI-40. In contrast, water-use efficiency, osmoprotective compounds, including free amino acids, soluble sugars, proline, and trigonelline, along with antioxidant contents (ascorbate, glutathione, phenolics, and flavonoids) and their activity increased significantly under both dI-20 and dI-40. However, foliar feeding with nano-P considerably increased plant growth and yield traits, leaf integrity, photosynthetic pigments contents, leaf and seed P contents, and anatomical features. Besides, water-use efficiency, osmoprotectant contents, and antioxidant content and activity were further increased under both dI-20 and dI-40. The positive effects were more pronounced with the smaller nP (25 nm) than the larger nP (50 nm). The results of this study backed up the idea of using foliar nourishment with nP, which can be effective in modulating fenugreek plant growth and seed production

Improvement of Selected Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Parameters of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) Grown under Different Salinity Levels Using Potassium Silicate and Aloe saponaria Extract

Two successive field trials were carried out at the experimental farm of the Agriculture Department of Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt, to investigate the sole or dual interaction effect of applying a foliar spray of Aloe saponaria extract (Ae) or potassium silicate (KSi) on reducing the stressful salinity impacts on the development, yield, and features of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) plants. Both Ae or KSi were used at three rates: 0% (0 cm3 L&minus;1), 0.5% (5 cm3 L&minus;1), and 1% (10 cm3 L&minus;1) and 0, 30, and 60 g L&minus;1, respectively. Three rates of salinity, measured by the electrical conductivity of a saturated soil extract (ECe), were also used: normal soil (ECe &lt; 4 dS/m) (S1); moderately-saline soil (ECe: 4&ndash;8 dS/m) (S2); and highly-saline soil (ECe: 8&ndash;16 dS/m) (S3). The lowest level of salinity yielded the highest levels of all traits except for pH, chloride, and sodium. Ae at 0.5% increased the values of total soluble sugars, total free amino acids, potassium, anthocyanin, a single-photon avalanche diode, stem diameter, fruit number, and fresh weight, whereas 1% of Ae resulted in the highest plant height, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), performance index, relative water content, membrane stability index, proline, total soluble sugars, and acidity. KSi either at 30 or 60 g L&minus;1 greatly increased these abovementioned attributes. Fruit number and fruit fresh weight per plant also increased significantly with the combination of Ae at 1% and KSi at 30 g L&minus;1 under normal soil conditions

Natural Biostimulant Attenuates Salinity Stress Effects in Chili Pepper by Remodeling Antioxidant, Ion, and Phytohormone Balances, and Augments Gene Expression

A biostimulant is any microorganism or substance used to enhance the efficiency of nutrition, tolerance to abiotic stress and/or quality traits of crops, depending on its contents from nutrients. Plant biostimulants like honey bee (HB) and silymarin (Sm) are a strategic trend for managing stressed crops by promoting nutritional and hormonal balance, regulating osmotic protectors, antioxidants, and genetic potential, reflecting plant growth and productivity. We applied diluted honey bee (HB) and silymarin-enriched honey bee (HB- Sm) as foliar nourishment to investigate their improving influences on growth, yield, nutritional and hormonal balance, various osmoprotectant levels, different components of antioxidant system, and genetic potential of chili pepper plants grown under NaCl-salinity stress (10 dS m‒1). HB significantly promoted the examined attributes and HB-Sm conferred optimal values, including growth, productivity, K+/Na+ ratio, capsaicin, and Sm contents. The antioxidative defense components were significantly better than those obtained with HB alone. Conversely, levels of oxidative stress markers (superoxide ions and hydrogen peroxide) and parameters related to membrane damage (malondialdehyde level, stability index, ionic leakage, Na+, and Cl− contents) were significantly reduced. HB-Sm significantly affects inactive gene expression, as a natural biostimulator silencing active gene expression. SCoT primers were used as proof in salt-treated or untreated chili pepper plants. There were 41 cDNA amplicons selected by SCoT-primers. Twenty of them were EcDNA amplicons (cDNA-amplicons that enhanced their genes by one or more treatments) representing 49% of all cDNA amplicons, whereas 7 amplicons for ScDNA (whose genes were silenced in one or more treatments) represented 17%, and 14 McDNA (monomorphic cDNA-amplicons with control) amplicons were represented by 34% from all cDNA amplicons. This indicates the high effect of BH-Sm treatments in expression enhancement of some inactive genes and their silenced effect for expression of some active genes, also confirming that cDNA-SCoT markers succeeded in detection of variable gene expression patterns between the untreated and treated plants. In conclusion, HB-Sm as a natural multi-biostimulator can attenuate salt stress effects in chili pepper plants by remodeling the antioxidant defense system and ameliorating plant productivity

Natural Biostimulant Attenuates Salinity Stress Effects in Chili Pepper by Remodeling Antioxidant, Ion, and Phytohormone Balances, and Augments Gene Expression

A biostimulant is any microorganism or substance used to enhance the efficiency of nutrition, tolerance to abiotic stress and/or quality traits of crops, depending on its contents from nutrients. Plant biostimulants like honey bee (HB) and silymarin (Sm) are a strategic trend for managing stressed crops by promoting nutritional and hormonal balance, regulating osmotic protectors, antioxidants, and genetic potential, reflecting plant growth and productivity. We applied diluted honey bee (HB) and silymarin-enriched honey bee (HB- Sm) as foliar nourishment to investigate their improving influences on growth, yield, nutritional and hormonal balance, various osmoprotectant levels, different components of antioxidant system, and genetic potential of chili pepper plants grown under NaCl-salinity stress (10 dS m‒1). HB significantly promoted the examined attributes and HB-Sm conferred optimal values, including growth, productivity, K+/Na+ ratio, capsaicin, and Sm contents. The antioxidative defense components were significantly better than those obtained with HB alone. Conversely, levels of oxidative stress markers (superoxide ions and hydrogen peroxide) and parameters related to membrane damage (malondialdehyde level, stability index, ionic leakage, Na+, and Cl− contents) were significantly reduced. HB-Sm significantly affects inactive gene expression, as a natural biostimulator silencing active gene expression. SCoT primers were used as proof in salt-treated or untreated chili pepper plants. There were 41 cDNA amplicons selected by SCoT-primers. Twenty of them were EcDNA amplicons (cDNA-amplicons that enhanced their genes by one or more treatments) representing 49% of all cDNA amplicons, whereas 7 amplicons for ScDNA (whose genes were silenced in one or more treatments) represented 17%, and 14 McDNA (monomorphic cDNA-amplicons with control) amplicons were represented by 34% from all cDNA amplicons. This indicates the high effect of BH-Sm treatments in expression enhancement of some inactive genes and their silenced effect for expression of some active genes, also confirming that cDNA-SCoT markers succeeded in detection of variable gene expression patterns between the untreated and treated plants. In conclusion, HB-Sm as a natural multi-biostimulator can attenuate salt stress effects in chili pepper plants by remodeling the antioxidant defense system and ameliorating plant productivity