The purpose of the present work was to evaluate effects of zinc application on growth and uptake and distribution of mineral nutrients under salinity stress [0, 33, 66, and 99 mM sodium chloride (NaCl)] in soybean plants. Results showed that, salinity levels caused a significant decrease in shoot dry and fresh weight in non-zinc application plants. Whereas, zinc application on plants exposed to salinity stress improved the shoot dry and fresh weight. Potassium (K) concentration, K/sodium (Na) and calcium (Ca)/Na ratios significantly decreased, while sodium (Na) concentration increased in root, shoot, and seed as soil salinity increased. Phosphorus (P) concentration significantly decreased in shoot under salinity stress. Moreover, calcium (Ca) significantly decreased in root, but increased in seed with increased salinization. Iron (Fe) concentration significantly decreased in all organs of plant (root, shoot, and seed) in response to salinity levels. Zinc (Zn) concentration of plant was not significantly affected by salinity stress. Copper (Cu) concentration significantly decreased by salinity in root. Nonetheless, manganese (Mn) concentration of root, shoot, and seed was not affected by experimental treatments. Zinc application increased Ca/Na (shoot and seed) ratio and K (shoot and seed), P (shoot), Ca (root and seed), Zn (root, shoot, and seed) and Fe (root and shoot) concentration in soybean plants under salinity stress. Zinc application decreased Na concentration in shoot tissue.

Lallemantia iberica (L. iberica) is an important dry season medicinal plant. Drought, an important abiotic stress, adversely affects the plant’s metabolism, which can be alleviated by plant growth regulators like brassinolides. A two-year field experiment was conducted in 2017–2018 to determine the effects of three different irrigation regimes and four brassinolide concentrations on the L. iberica biochemical properties. A split-plot based on a completely randomized block design in three replicates was used as an experimental design with the following irrigation regimes: full watering, watering until flowering and watering until branching. These were the main plots, and 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 μM brassinolide concentrations were applied as the subplots. The results showed that many antioxidant enzymes and some biochemical parameters were affected by brassinolide treatment. Furthermore, the highest membrane stability and grain yield were produced in full watering treatment in the second year, and these treatments were not affected by brassinolide application. Several concentrations of brassinolide differently affected the studied treatments, and our study suggests that the amelioration of the effects of the drought stress on L. iberica could possibly be achieved through brassinolide-induced elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging defense systems. There is a need for complementary research to prove the effectiveness of foliar application of this growth regulator to improve the growth and yield of L. iberica under water shortage conditions.

Nowadays, the use of the growth regulator salicylic acid for improving a plant’s resistance to environmental stresses such as drought is increasing. The present study investigated the effect of salicylic acid on the physiological traits, antioxidant enzymes, yield, and quality of Allium hirtifolium (shallots) under drought conditions for three years (2016–2017, 2017–2018, and 2018–2019). The experiment was conducted as a split-plot based on a randomized complete block design with four repeats. Irrigation as the main factor in four levels of 100% (full irrigation), 75% and 50% of the plant water requirements with non-irrigation (dryland), and salicylic acid as the sub-factor in four levels of 0, 0.75, and 1 mmol, were the studied factors in this research. The combined analysis of three-year data showed that drought reduced leaf relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), chlorophyll content, onion yield, and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes, proline content, tang, and allicin of shallots. Shallot spraying with salicylic acid improved leaf RWC, MSI, chlorophyll content, and onion yield. The highest yield of onion (1427 gr m⁻²) belonged to full irrigation and foliar application of 1 mmol salicylic acid. The lowest yield (419.8 gr m⁻²) belonged to plats with non-irrigation and non-application of salicylic acid. By improving the effective physiological traits in resistance to water deficit, salicylic acid adjusted the effects of water deficit on the yield of shallots. Foliar application of 1 mmol salicylic acid in dryland and irrigation of 50% of the plant water requirement increased onion yield by 15.12% and 29.39%, respectively, compared to the control treatment without salicylic acid.

To evaluate the effect of useful soil microorganisms and organic compounds on physiological characteristics and yield of two wheat cultivars under supplementary irrigation conditions, a study was conducted in the Agriculture Research Farm of Kurdistan University during the two cropping seasons of 2017–2018 and 2018–2019. A split–split plot-based study on a randomized complete block design with four replicates was used as an experimental design. The main factor was irrigation at three levels, including control without irrigation, supplementary irrigation in the booting stage, and supplementary irrigation in the booting and flowering stages. Two wheat cultivars, namely, Sardari and Sirvan, as sub-factors and application of bio-fertilizers in eight levels, including the use of bio-fertilizers containing: Mycorrhiza, Seaweed extract, Nitrozist and Phosphozist, Mycorrhiza + Nitrozist and Phosphozist, Seaweed extract + Nitrozist and Phosphozist, Mycorrhiza + Seaweed extract, Mycorrhiza + Nitrozist and Phosphozist + Seaweed extract, and non-application of bio-fertilizers, were considered as sub-factors. The results of both seasons of the experiment showed that the application of bio-fertilizers compared to the control treatment at all irrigation levels increased root volume, leaf relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), and photosynthetic pigment content. The highest amount of H₂O₂, proline, and soluble carbohydrates were obtained in wheat under dry land conditions, and supplementary irrigation, especially two-time irrigation, significantly reduced the values of these traits. Supplementary irrigation also increased grain yield, so that in the conditions of two-time irrigation compared to the non-irrigation treatment (dry land), in the first and second seasons, the grain yield increased by 79.51 and 78.69%, respectively. Application of bio-fertilizers (Mycorrhiza + Nitrozist and Phosphozist + Seaweed extract) in comparison with the non-application of these fertilizers, due to increased root volume, RWC, MSI, and content of photosynthetic pigments, increased the grain yield in the first and second seasons of the experiment by 8.04 and 6.96%, respectively. As a result, suitable microorganisms and seaweed can improve wheat resistance mechanisms to water deficit, which along with using supplementary irrigation that saves water consumption improves plant growth and yield in areas faced with water shortage.

A factorial experiment based on RCB design with three replicates was conducted to investigate changes in some physiological responses of two chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars (Pirouz from Desi type and ILC482 from Kabuli type) to arbuscular mycorrhiza (Glomus etunicatum Becker and Gerdman) under different irrigation treatments. The experiment was carried out in the greenhouse of the Agricultural Faculty of Kurdistan University from April to August 2009. The results showed that leaf chlorophyll content of chickpea cultivars was significantly increased by arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) under both well and limited irrigation conditions. Proline accumulation in chickpea leaves under moderate and severe drought stresses was significantly stronger than that under optimum irrigation. Inoculation of chickpea with mycorrhizal fungi caused an increase in the activities of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase, but a decrease in the activity of catalase. Comparisons among different irrigation levels showed that chickpea plants under drought stress had the most active lipid peroxidation. Non-AM plants showed stronger lipid peroxidation under moderate and severe water stresses than AM plants. Lipid peroxidation was more active in Pirouz leaves than in ILC₄₈₂ leaves. It seems that Kabuli-type cultivar responded better to mycorrhizal symbiosis under drought stress than Desitype cultivar.