Effect of organic amendments on nitrate leaching mitigation in a sandy loam soil of Shkodra district, Albania

Ca-bentonite (CB) alone and in a mixture with limestone (L), tobacco biochar (TB) and zeolite (Z) on the fixation, geochemical fractions and absorption of Cd and Zn by Chinese cabbage in smelter heavily polluted (S-HP) and smelter low polluted (S-LP) soils were investigated. The results showed that the CB + TB and CB + L + TB treatments significantly immobilized Cd up to 22.0% and 29.7%, respectively, and reduced uptake by Chinese cabbage shoot to 36.0% with CB + Z + L and 61.3% with CB + L in S-HP and S-LP soils compared with the control. The CB + Z + L + TB treatment mobilized Cd up to 4.4% and increased absorption in the shoot by 9.9% in S-HP soil. The greatest immobilization of Zn was 53.2% and 58.2% with the CB + Z + L + TB treatment, which reduced Zn uptake in the plant shoot by 10.0% with CB + L and 58.0% with CB + Z + L + TB in S-HP and S-LP soils. The CB + Z + TB and CB + TB treatments mobilized Zn up to 35.4% and 4.9%, respectively, in both soils. Furthermore, the uptake of Zn in plant shoot was observed by 59.0% and 7.9% with application of CB + Z and CB + TB treatments, respectively, in S-HP and S-LP soils. Overall, our results suggest that Ca-bentonite alone and in mixtures with different amendments can be used to reduce the phyto-extraction of Cd and Zn in Zn-smelter polluted soils.

Water stress has become one of the foremost constraints to agricultural development, mostly in areas that are deficient in water. A field trial has been conducted to evaluate the performance of different twenty wheat genotypes under three stress treatments viz., control (T0) = normal watering, stress-1 (T1) = water stress from tillering up to maturity, and stress-2 (T2) = water stress from anthesis to maturity were used as treatments. The results revealed that a highly significant (p < 0.01) difference was observed among twenty wheat cultivars for morpho-physiological traits except for several tillers plant⁻¹, spikeletspike⁻¹, and relative water content. In the early days, 50% flowering was noted in Anmole-91 (64.33 days) under (T0), while Anmol-91 showed a relative decrease (RD-1) (−2.34 days) at days 50% flowering in (T1). The TJ-83 genotype showed an early response (−8.34 day) at days to 50% flowering under stress-2 (T2), but TD-I (−3.34) was observed to be relatively tolerant. Underwater stress from tillering to maturity (T1) SKD-1 was found more susceptible (−36.7 days) than other cultivars. Wheat cultivar Soghat-90 showed maximum RD-1 (−24.7) for grain yield plant⁻¹ in stress-1 (T1) from tillering to maturity. Anmole-91, NIA-Sarang, and TD-I observed minimum was (−6) in the same water stress for various traits. Therefore, the findings of present work revealed that the best performing genotypes can be recommended for effective cultivation in future breeding programs.

Background: To meet SDG 2, agricultural productivity must double, and wheat production in particular must close the gap between demand and consumption. China leads global wheat production, accounting for 17% with 135.8 million tonnes in 2022 – 2023, followed by India with 105 million tonnes. Russia produces 85.2 million tonnes and is also the world's largest exporter. Pakistan's production was 26.2 million tonnes in 2022. Pakistan's wheat sector faces the challenge of meeting growing demand, as average yields per hectare are below potential and the population is growing rapidly. Objectives: The objectives included comparing the impact of DAP, NP, and SSP fertilizers on plant height (cm), number of tillers per plant, spike length (cm), grains per spike, seed index (1000-grain weight in grams), grain yield (kg/ha), and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content (%) in the grains and straw of the TD-1, SKD-1, and TJ-83 varieties. Methods: A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of phosphatic fertilizers, including DAP, NP, and SSP, applied at dose of 84 kg P2O5 per ha, on soil nutrient dynamics and the morphological traits of three wheat varieties: TD-1, SKD-1, and TJ-83. For the experiment was utilized a randomized complete block design with treatments applied to soil and crops under controlled field conditions. Soil properties such N, P, K, EC, pH, and OM, along with wheat morphological traits, were assessed. Results: The results indicate that DAP fertilizer significantly increased soil N and P levels, while SSP was more effective in enhancing soil K. SSP also increased soil EC, whereas pH decreased with all phosphatic fertilizers compared to the control. Among the wheat varieties, TJ-83 exhibited the highest grain yield (3049 kg/ha) with NP fertilizer. Notably, DAP improved the seed index and grain nutrient content compared to other treatments, with by 51.33g for TD-1 variety. These findings align with other studies report by the scientist, highlighting the efficacy of phosphatic fertilizers in improving soil fertility and crop traits under challenging soil conditions. Conclusion: This finding contributes to optimizing phosphorus fertilizer use for sustainable wheat production and emphasizes the need for long-term experiments integrating innovative amendments like biochar and nanotechnology to enhance soil health and crop productivity.

Ca-bentonite (CB) alone and in a mixture with limestone (L), tobacco biochar (TB) and zeolite (Z) on the fixation, geochemical fractions and absorption of Cd and Zn by Chinese cabbage in smelter heavily polluted (S-HP) and smelter low polluted (S-LP) soils were investigated. The results showed that the CB+TB and CB+L+TB treatments significantly immobilized Cd up to 22.03% and 29.68%, respectively, and reduced uptake by Chinese cabbage shoot to 35.98% with CB+Z+L and 61.35% with CB+L in S-HP and S-LP soils compared with the control. The CB+ Z+ L+TB treatment mobilized Cd up to 4.45% and increased absorption in the shoot by 9.85% in S-HP soil. The greatest immobilization of Zn was 53.18% and 58.20% with the CB+Z+L+TB treatment, which reduced Zn uptake in the plant shoot by 9.94% with CB + L and 58.04 with CB+Z+L+TB in S-HP and S-LP soils. The CB+Z+TB and CB+TB treatments mobilized Zn up to 35.40% and 4.80%, respectively, in both soils. Furthermore, the uptake of Zn in plant shoot was observed by 58.96% and 7.82% with application of CB+Z and CB+TB treatments, respectively, in S-HP and S-LP soils. Overall, our results suggest that Ca-bentonite alone and in mixtures with different amendments can be used to reduce the phyto-extraction of Cd and Zn in Zn-smelter polluted soils.