Currently, the world is facing many troubles in crop production and the irrigation water deficit is the most harmful among them. Saving irrigation water is the main target for all countries of the world, especially in arid areas. Field trial was executed aiming to assess the influence of irrigation regimes (100, 80 and 60% of irrigation requirements, IR (IR₁₀₀, IR₈₀ and IR₆₀, respectively), water-absorbent substances (control, hydrogel polymer and zeolite as soil addition) and foliar application of glutathione (GSH) [with GSH or without] on the performance of common bean plants. Findings clarified that plant fresh weight obtained with the combination of IR₈₀ × zeolite × GSH had no significant differences with the superior combination of IR₁₀₀ × hydrogel polymer or zeolite × GSH. Hydrogel polymer plus GSH supply showed distinctive enhancements for N, P and K accumulation in common bean leaves. Application of zeolite plus GSH reduced the accumulation of POX and CAT by 21.8 and 15.5% under IR₈₀ and 16.1 and 7.6% under IR₆₀, respectively. Spraying of GSH × hydrogel polymer under IR_100, IR₈₀ and IR₆₀ significantly increased the value of pods yield by 26.5%, 25.23% and 32.80, respectively, as compared to corresponding control treatment. the interaction of IR₁₀₀ and hydrogel polymer whether with or without GSH showed the highest significant values of N, P, protein, fiber, carbohydrates percentages and TDS. Briefly, it can be concluded that water holding amendments i.e., polymer and zeolite as well as low-molecular-weight antioxidants i.e., glutathione can mitigate the hazard impacts of elevated reactive oxygen species production under drought. Practically, common bean growers are advised to treat the soil with available soil amendment (hydrogel polymer, 0.24 t ha⁻¹ or zeolite, 1.20 t ha⁻¹) and spraying common bean plants by glutathione, 1.0 mM to sustain the crop productivity and quality under shortage water conditions

Now, it is known that people in Egypt are under the water poverty limit a long time ago due to climate change and the shortage of water resources. These conditions hamper agricultural development in Egypt. Thus, a practical solution must be undertaken for confronting the water scarcity that hindered agricultural development in Egypt. So, two field trials were executed to assess different irrigation techniques [(100, 75 and 50 % of irrigation requirements (IR)] as main plots. While different soil conditioners [without (control), biochar (at rate of 24 Mg ha-1) and plant compost (at rate of 24 Mg ha-1) in addition to both of them as combined treatment (at rate of 12 Mg ha-1 for each conditioner)] were evaluated as subplots. Also, the foliar application of glycerol and sorbitol (0.0, and 500 mM L-1) represented the sub-sub plots. Maize was used as an experimental plant. Findings illustrate that water deficit treatments (75 and 50 % of IR) led to a raise in the production of enzymatic antioxidants in maize leaves at the stage of 60 days after sowing. While the studied soil amendments (either solely or in combination) and the sugar alcohols led to a decline the values of these enzymatic antioxidants. On the contrary, at the period of 90 days from sowing (growth advanced stage), the grown plants without the studied substances (soil conditioners and sugar alcohols) cannot continue producing these enzymatic antioxidants under water deficit treatments. Also, the deficit irrigation (75 and 50 % of IR) caused a significant decline in the performance and productivity of maize compared to traditional irrigation (100 % of IR). For example, the highest values of the studied growth criteria e.g., fresh weight (951.64 and 965.61 g plant-1, for 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively), leaf area (620.25 and 628.56 cm2 plant-1, for 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively) and chlorophyll content (40.55 and 41.42 SPAD for 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively) were realized under traditional irrigation (100 % of IR) followed by those values achieved under deficit irrigation treatment (75 % of IR), while the lowest one were recorded with deficit irrigation treatment (50 % of IR). Regarding the soil conditioners effect, the compost and biochar either solely or in combination improved the plant performance and productivity compared to the corresponding plants grown without soil conditioners. The highest values of growth criteria and productivity were realized with the combined treatment of compost and biochar followed by compost alone then biochar alone and lately control treatment (without soil conditioner). Concerning sugar alcohols, the exogenous application of sorbitol was the superior treatment, while the glycerol came in the second order and lately control treatment (without sugar alcohols). Generally, it can be concluded that a combination of compost and biochar may hold enough amounts of irrigation water and nutrients and release them as required by the maize plant, thus enhancing plant growth performance with the limited supply of irrigation water. Also, sugar alcohols have a vital role in raising maize tolerance to water deficit conditions.

Nitrogen (N) represents the most important nutrient for plant growth and productivity, but extreme and ineffective usage of N fertilizer results in boosted plant production expenditures and environmental contamination. For the world’s sustainable food production and environmental profits, there has been increased research interest in reducing the use of N fertilization along with improving plant N deficiency (ND) tolerance. Dopamine (DA), a potential antioxidant, mediates several physio-biochemical processes in plants under normal or stressful conditions. However, their roles in increasing ND tolerance in crisphead lettuce are not well-documented. We investigate the role of DA concentration (0.50 and 100 µM) on the growth and yield of crisphead lettuce plants under ND. Under normal conditions (100% recommended N fertilizer dose), DA (50 and 100 μM) application significantly enhanced growth, chlorophyll concentration, N%, antioxidant enzymes activity, as well as yield and its components, decreased nitrate accumulation and oxidative biomarkers compared to untreated plants (0 μM DA). ND significantly decreased plant growth and yield attributes as well as evoked oxidative impairment and nitrate accumulation as compared to 100% recommended N fertilizer dose in the absence of DA. However, within ND conditions, the application of DA concentrations significantly mitigated ND-induced oxidative burst and improved plant growth, chlorophyll concentration, N%, nitrate concentration, peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, total soluble solid, vitamin C, dry matter %, and total sugars, over 0 μM DA treated plants. Current findings highlighted that exogenous application of 100 μM DA could reinforce the crisphead lettuce plant’s resilience to ND by minimizing reactive oxygen species accumulation and promoting enzymatic antioxidants alongside growth, yield, and quality improvement. The beneficial effects of DA in lessening ND’s drastic impacts on crisphead lettuce resulted from upregulating antioxidant enzyme activity, impairment of oxidative biomarkers, and maintaining chlorophyll levels. The current findings open pioneering prospects to reduce nitrogen fertilization by DA application without any drastic effect on plant productivity. But further research is needed to fully understand DA effects and their mechanisms in inducing ND tolerance in different plant species, including crisphead lettuce.

The adequate supply of irrigation water is a crucial factor controlling the growth and productivity of crops.Under water poverty conditions in Egypt and most arid regions, sustaining the irrigation water in the root zone as long as possible becomes very necessary.Consequently, two field trials were performed aiming to evaluate the effect of zeolite soil addition of as main plots[ Z0:without zeolite(control)and Z1: with zeolite at rate of 10 Mg h-1]under three irrigation intervals as subplots [I1: irrigation every 12 days (traditional irrigation) in addition to irrigation every 14(I2)and 16(I3) days, which represented the deficit irrigation treatments]. The execution of the research trail was done in a split-plot design with three replicates. Maize was used as an experimental plant based on its significant response to water alterations in the root zone. Biochemical plant characters including total chlorophyll, total phenols and proline contents were measured in leaves at period of 60 days from sowing. In addition, vegetative growth parameters (plant height) as well as quantitative (e.g., No.of grain ear-1,No.of rows ear-1, grain and biological yield) and qualitative (i.e.,carbohydrates, protein and oil)yield characteristics were determined at harvesting stage. Findings of this study showed that the zeolite soil addition before sowing (Z1) with irrigation interval of maize plants every14days (I2) as combined treatment realizes better results for improving quantitative and qualitative yield characteristics than non-addition of zeolite (Z0) under traditional irrigation interval (I1:every12days).Post-harvest soil analysis indicatedthat the usage of zeolite improves some studied soil properties e.g., bulk density, total porosity, CEC and FC.

Developing a modern approach to sustain strategic crop productivity under conditions of water scarcity is a matter that occupies the thoughts of all researchers in the field of agricultural scientific research. So, a research trial was performed during the growing season of 2022/ 2023 for improving the onion growth performance and its quantitative and qualitative yield under deficit irrigation via some soil amendments and some beneficial element spraying. Three irrigation regimes [I1: Four irrigations, I2: Three irrigations and I3: Two irrigations were evaluated as main plots. The soil amendments [T1: Without soil amendments), T2: Biochar, T3: Zeolite, T4: Compost (plant residues), at rate of 10 Mg ha-1 for each soil amendment] were evaluated as sub main plots. Also, the foliar application of nutrient elements [F1: Without foliar application, F2: Boron, F3: Copper, F4: Selenium, at rate of 10 mg L-1 for each element) was assessed as sub-main plots. Parameters expressing the growth performance (e.g., foliage dry weight, chlorophyll, proline and catalase enzyme) at the period of 75 days from transplanting were determined. Also, traits expressing quantitative yield (e.g., total and marketable bulb yield) and qualitative yield (e.g., carbohydrate, protein, vitamin C, total dissolved solids and pyruvic acid) were estimated. The findings indicate that the traditional irrigation approach (I1) caused the best performance in terms of both quantitative and qualitative yield. Following this, the water deficit treatments (I2 and I3) resulted in lower performance, as the I3 treatment led to the lowest performance. When considering soil amendments, compost proved to be the most effective, followed by zeolite, then biochar, while, the control treatment ( without soil amendments) was the least effective. Regarding the beneficial elements, the order of effectiveness from most to least was Se > Cu > B > F1 (control). Generally, the most favorable outcomes were observed when combining compost (T4) with selenium foliar application (F4), within the framework of the traditional irrigation treatment (I1). Notably, the growth performance, as well as the quantitative and qualitative yield, were better when employing the combined approach of compost (T4) and selenium foliar application (F4) under the water deficit treatment (I2) compared to plants grown traditionally without any of the studied substances (I1 x T1 x F1). In conclusion, this research underscores the potential of soil amendments, and nutrient application strategies to enhance onion growth and yield under water scarcity. By continuously refining these approaches and embracing a holistic perspective, the agricultural community can move closer to ensuring food security and sustainability in challenging environmental conditions.

There is unprecedented interest in the biological and non-biological atmospheric nitrogen fixation via some elements e.g., titanium, nickel, vanadium .....etc to reduce the mineral N-fertilizers in the future, especially under salinity conditions. Also, it is known that synthetic nitrogen fertilization may increase the impurities in the sugar beet. So, A field trial ( as an exploratory experiment) was executed in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) to highlight the role of the Ti element in non-biological atmospheric nitrogen fixation and regulating sugar beet plant tolerance to salinity conditions ( soil EC value =6.25 dSm-1 & irrigation water EC value =4.86 dSm-1). Treatments were as follows; T1: Without Ti (0.0 mg L-1); T2: Adding Ti as foliar application (5.0 mg L-1); T3: Adding Ti as foliar application (10.0 mg L-1); T4: Adding Ti as foliar application (15.0 mg L-1); T5: Adding Ti as soil injection (5.0 mg L-1); T6: Adding Ti as soil injection (10.0 mg L-1); T7: Adding Ti as soil injection (15.0 mg L-1); T8: Combination of both methods (Soil + foliar) (5.0 mg L-1); T9: Combination of both methods (Soil + foliar) (10.0 mg L-1) and T10: Combination of both methods (Soil + foliar) (15.0 mg L-1). At the harvest stage, top &roots yield and juice quality were evaluated. The findings illustrate that the difference due to the studied treatments was significant, where the sequence order of the evaluated Ti treatments from the most effective to the less was as follows;T8>T2>T3>T9>T5> T6 >T1> T7>T4>T10. Through the statistical comparison among the studied treatments, it can be noticed that the combined addition method of Ti (foliar plus soil) was the most effective then foliar application method as alone followed by the soil injection method alone. Also, the best Ti rate was 5.0 mg L-1 under all studied application methods, but the performance decreased as the Ti rate increased and this may be due to Ti toxicity at high concentrations. Also, it can be noticed that the plant performance under the control treatment was better than that treated with 15.0 Ti mg L-1 under all studied application methods. Generally, a better understanding of titanium toxicity in plant tissues may promote risk assessment and safe use of it.