Soil salinity is a condition that limits crop growth and productivity, and soil-dwelling bacteria from halophytic plant roots may be a viable strategy to cope with low productivity due to salt stress. Halophilic and halotolerant bacteria of the root soil of Sesuvium verrucosum were analyzed in this study as there is little evidence regarding its associated microbiology. Soil was sampled from the roots of Sesuvium verrucosum to obtain the cultivable bacteria. Their morphological characteristics were identified and they were molecularly identified by the 16S sequence. The growth capacity of the bacteria was determined at different levels of pH and salinity, and several growth promotion characteristics were identified, such as phosphorus solubilization, indole acetic acid production by the tryptophan-dependent (AIAt) and tryptophan-independent (IAA) pathways, ammonium production from organic sources, solubilization of carbonates, and zinc and sodium capture capacity. In addition, the bacteria that presented the best characteristics for germination variables of Solanum lycopersicum were evaluated. A total of 20 bacteria from root soil of Sesuvium verrucosum Raf. belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria (50%), Firmicutes (45%) and Actinobacteria (5%) were identified, with each one having different morphological characteristics. Among the bacterial isolates, 45% had the ability to resist different levels of salinity and pH, ranging from 0 to 20% of NaCl, and pH between 5 and 11. Moreover, these bacteria had the capacity to solubilize carbonates, phosphorus and zinc, capture sodium, produce ammonium from organic substrates and IAA (indole acetic acid), and promote enzymatic activity of amylases, proteases, lipases and cellulases. The bacteria evaluated on the germination of Solanum lycopersicum had an influence on germination at different salinity levels, with greater influence at 100 mM NaCl. This demonstrated that halophilic bacteria belonging to the rhizosphere of Sesuvium verrucosum have the ability to promote growth in extreme salinity conditions, making them candidates for the recovery of productivity in saline soils.

Soil salinity is one of the most important factors reducing agricultural productivity worldwide. Halophilic plant growth-promoting bacteria (H-PGPB) represent an alternative method of alleviating saline stress in crops of agricultural interest. In this study, the following halophilic bacteria were evaluated: Bacillus sp. SVHM1.1, Halomonas sp. SVCN6, Halomonas sp. SVHM8, and a consortium. They were grown under greenhouse conditions in Solanum lycopersicum at different salinity concentrations in irrigation water (0, 20, 60, and 100 mM NaCl) to determine the effects on germination, fruit quality, yield, and concentration of osmoprotectors in plant tissue. Our results demonstrate the influence of halophilic bacteria with the capacity to promote plant growth on the germination and development of Solanum lycopersicum at higher salinity levels. The germination percentage was improved at the highest concentration by the inoculated treatments (from 37 to 47%), as were the length of the radicle (30% at 20 mM) and plumule of the germinated seed, this bacterium also increased the weight of the plumule (97% at 100 mM). They also improved the yield. The dry weight of the plant, in addition to having an influence on the quality of the fruit and the concentration of osmoprotectors (Bacillus sp. SVHM 1.1) had the greatest effect on fruit yield (1.5 kg/plant at 20 mM), by the otherhand, Halomonas sp. SVHM8 provided the best fruit quality characteristics at 100 mM. According to the above results, the efficiency of halophilic PGPB in the attenuation of salt stress in Solanum lycopersicum has been proven.

Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced through the pyrolysis of agricultural waste. It effectively enhances the physical, chemical, and biological properties of salinity-affected soils. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the world’s third most important legume crop, currently cultivated in over 50 countries. However, no study has yet established recommended biochar application rates for this crop under saline soil conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the chemical properties of a clay soil following the application of varying rates of biochar and NaCl, and to evaluate their subsequent effects on the growth and yield of Cicer arietinum L. To evaluate the effect of biochar, a completely randomized experimental design with ten replicates was implemented. The biochar was produced from corncobs (Zea mays) and applied at two rates (1.5% and 3%). Soil salinity levels were classified into three groups: non-saline (S1 = 1.2 dS·m⁻¹), low/moderate salinity (S2 = 4.2 dS·m⁻¹), and moderate salinity (S3 = 5.6 dS·m⁻¹). The treatments were placed in pots for 100 days. The results demonstrated that biochar applications at 1.5% and 3% rates improved both soil chemical properties (pH, EC, SAR, and ESP) and the growth of C. arietinum across all evaluated treatments. The 3% biochar treatment showed superior effects compared to the 1.5% application. Therefore, biochar application in C. arietinum production emerges as an effective agronomic strategy to mitigate abiotic stress while simultaneously enhancing crop productivity and sustainability.

La producción de limón mexicano (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle), está limitada por el uso intensivo de fertilizantes químicos. En busca de alternativas sostenibles y eficientes, este estudio evaluó la aplicación de vermicompost y hongos microrrízicos arbusculares (HMA) en el crecimiento de plántulas de limón. La evaluación se llevó a cabo comparando la fertilización química (F), vermicompost (V), HMA Glomus clarum (G), HMA consorcio (C), combinación de vermicompost + HMA (GV y GVC) y testigo (S). La altura de la planta, diámetro de tallo, número de hojas, área foliar, peso fresco y seco de hojas y raíces, concentraciones de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu y Zn en tejidos vegetales, clorofilas, tasa fotosintética, conductancia estomática, número de esporas y colonización micorrízica, fueron evaluadas después de 270 días. Los resultados revelaron un efecto sinérgico significativo (P ≤ 0.05) entre la aplicación de vermicompost y la inoculación de HMA. Las plantas tratadas con vermicompost promovieron 50% más al número de hojas respecto a testigo y 17% respecto a fertilización química; además, mejoró la biomasa fresca (57% a S y 17% a F). La aplicación de Glomus clarum y consorcio, promovieron mayor contenido de N, P y Cu en tejido foliar, así como mayor tasa fotosintética. Los tratamientos combinados de vermicompost y HMA promovieron significativamente mayor altura de planta (56 y 43% de GV respecto a S y F), mejoraron el peso fresco de raíz (59 y 33%), peso seco de hoja y raíz (48-67, 7-31%, respectivamente), aumentaron los niveles de N (45, 29%), P (38, 34%) y Zn (143, 206%) en tejido foliar; así como mayor contenido de clorofila a (9, 6.5%) y clorofila total (12.5, 10%) respecto al testigo y fertilización química. Estos resultados sugieren que la combinación de vermicompost y HMA representan una estrategia prometedora para optimizar la producción sostenible de limón mexicano.

This study investigated the effects of gibberellic acid (GA₃), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), salicylic acid (SA), and kinetin (KIN) on the germination and seedling growth of Sesuvium verrucosum Raf. under saline stress (4.5 and 8.7 dS m⁻¹). Seeds were pretreated with hormonal solutions (5, 10, and 15 mg L⁻¹) for 24 h before saline exposure. Among the tested regulators, SA was the most effective, significantly enhancing germination and seedling development, followed by KIN, GA₃, and IBA. The optimal concentration across all treatments was 15 mg L⁻¹, under both moderate (4.5 dS m⁻¹) and high (8.7 dS m⁻¹) salinity. However, at higher salinity (8.7 dS m⁻¹), the effectiveness of all regulators declined, irrespective of concentration. These findings suggest that seed priming with SA, KIN, GA₃, or IBA is a viable chemical strategy to improve germination, emergence, and establishment of S. verrucosum in saline environments. This approach not only enhances seedling adaptation to stress but also accelerates early growth stages.

In regions where winter temperatures fall below the tolerable thermal limits for crops, it is necessary to implement emergent equipment to supply heat inside the greenhouse. The objective of this work was to evaluate numerically the effect of two heating systems and crop size on the thermal gradient inside the greenhouse. This work aimed to estimate the thermal gradient generated by the heating system as a function of the age (height) of a greenhouse tomato crop. Temperature prediction was carried out using a numerical model based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), the impact of each heating system was examined, as well as the influence of crop size on thermal homogenization. The results indicate that when using electric heaters, the temperature at 1.5 m above the ground increases in the simulated no-crop scenario. As the crop size increases, the temperature at 1.5 m from the ground decreases (difference of up to 8 °C between the scenario with and without 2 m crop). Suggests that the crop, acting as a porous medium (barrier), reduces the energy exchange between the top of the greenhouse and the crop zone. However, when having a pipe heating system, the temperature at 1.5 m from the ground is more homogeneous, and the simulated scenario with the highest temperature is the one where the crop size is the largest (2 m) with a thermal difference of up to 1.5 °C between the scenario with and without 2 m crop. In summary, we have a larger thermal difference between the simulated scenarios when using electric heaters. However, electric heaters are still the best option to increase the greenhouse temperature, increasing the air temperature by up to 3 °C in the worst simulated scenario compared to the piped system. Keywords: Simulation; CFD; tomato growth; thermal homogenization; thermal comfort.