Microorganisms and organic compounds (humic and fulvic acid) offer viable alternatives to insecticides and mineral fertilizers. Even though many studies have shown the effects of biofertilizers and organic substances separately, little information is available on plant responses to the combined application of these bio-stimulants, even though these biological inputs have a high potential for simultaneous action. A two-year (2020/21–2021/22) field experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of organic and biofertilizers application on the growth, yield, and biochemical attributes of wheat (cv. Misr-1). Pre-planting, wheat seeds were inoculated with two biofertilizers including Mycorrhizae, and Azotobacter, and their combination (MIX), and control (un-inoculation) were considered the main plot factor. The subplot factor contained the foliar sprays of humic acid, fulvic acid, and control (no spray). The results revealed that the seed inoculation with mycorrhizae and azotobacter in combination with foliar-applied humic acid markedly (p ≤ 0.05) affected the growth, yield, and seed biochemical composition of wheat. Combination of mycorrhiza and azotobacter significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased) plant height (100 cm), crop growth rate (18.69 g), number of spikelets per spike (22), biological yield (13.4 ton ha-1), grain yield (5.56 ton ha-1), straw yield (8.21 ton ha-1),), nitrogen (2.07%), phosphorous (0.91%), potassium (1.64%), protein content (12.76%), starch (51.81%), and gluten content (30.90%) compared to control. Among organic fertilizers, humic acid caused the maximum increase in plant height (93 cm), crop growth rate ( 15 g day-1 m-2),1000 grain weight (51 g), biological yield ( 11ton ha-1), grain yield (4.5 ton ha-1), protein content (11%), chlorophyll content (46 SPAD), and gluten (29.45%) as compared to all other treatments. The foliar application of humic acid combined with the mycorrhizae or azotobacter seed inoculation was efficient to induce wheat vegetative growth development, as well as yield and its components.

In order to ensure an ongoing and long-term breeding progress of soybean, stable sources of major quality traits across multi-environments need to be identified. Here, a panel of 135 soybean genotypes was tested in three different Chinese environments, including Beijing, Anhui, and Hainan during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons to identify stable genotypes for cultivation under varying environmental conditions. The weighted average of absolute scores biplot (WAASB) for the best linear unbiased predictions of the genotype-environment interaction and multi-trait stability index (MTSI) were utilized to determine the stability of the soybeans for seven seed composition traits viz; protein content, oil content, and five fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids). Based on the WAASB index, the following genotypes were identified as stable genotypes for some specific traits; ZDD12828 and ZDD12832 for protein content, WDD01583 and WDD03025 for oil content, ZDD23040 for palmitic acid, WDD00033 for stearic acid, ZDD23822 for oleic acid, ZDD11183 for linoleic acid, and ZDD08489 for linolenic acid. Furthermore, based on MTSI at a selection intensity of 10%, 14 soybean genotypes were selected for their average performance and stability. Overall, the MTSI was shown to be a powerful and simple tool for identifying superior genotypes in terms of both performance and stability, hence, identifying stable soybean genotypes for future breeding programs of quality traits.

Drought stress significantly impacts wheat productivity, but plant growth regulators may help mitigate these effects. This study examined the influence of gibberellic acid (GA3) and abscisic acid (ABA) on wheat (Triticum aestivum L., CV: Giza 171) growth and yield under different water regimes. Using a split-plot design, we tested three drought levels as main plots: normal irrigation (80% field capacity), moderate drought (60% field capacity), and severe drought (40% field capacity). Subplots consisted of GA3 and ABA treatments at 100 and 200 ppm concentrations. Results showed that 200 ppm GA3 treatment enhanced multiple growth parameters under normal irrigation, including plant height (25–30% increase), leaf area (30–35% increase), and reproductive traits (40% increase in number of number of spikes, 35% increase in grains per spike). In contrast, ABA treatment at 200 ppm resulted in reduced plant height (35% decrease) and greater leaf area reduction (40% vs. 20% in control) under drought conditions. GA3 at 200 ppm also improved physiological parameters including catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, protein content, and proline accumulation. These findings demonstrate the distinct roles of GA3 and ABA in regulating wheat growth and stress responses, providing valuable insights for drought management in wheat cultivation.

The climate has drastically changed over the past two decades. Rising temperatures and climate change may lead to increased evapotranspiration, specifically soil evaporation, causing water to evaporate and salt to accumulate in the soil, resulting in increased soil salinity. As a result, there is a need to evaluate methods for predicting and monitoring the effects of salinity on crop growth and production through rapid screening. Our study was conducted on 20 wheat genotypes, 10 sensitive and 10 tolerant, exposed to two salinity levels (90 and 120 mM NaCl) with the control under greenhouse conditions. Our results revealed significant differences in the genotypes’ response to salinity. Salt stress decreased chlorophyll index in sensitive genotypes but increased chlorophyll a and carotenoids in tolerant genotypes at 90 mM. Salt stress also increased protein, proline, lipoxygenase, and reactive thiobarbituric acid levels in all wheat genotypes. The study suggests that plant photosynthetic efficiency is a reliable, non-destructive biomarker for determining the salt tolerance of wheat genotypes, while other biochemical traits are destructive and time-consuming and therefore not suitable for rapid screening.

A two-year (2020–2021) field experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of particular nanoparticles and biofertilizers on the growth, yield, and biochemical attributes of peanuts (Cv. Giza 6). Before planting, the seeds were inoculated with two biofertilizers, mycorrhiza and phosphorine, and were considered the main plot. The subplot contained foliar sprays of nanoparticles, i.e., 200 ppm boron (B), 200 ppm calcium (Ca), their combination (Ca+B), and the control (no spray). The results revealed that mycorrhiza significantly increased 100-seed weight (70.45 g), seed yield (1.9 ton/ha), biological yield (7.5 ton/ha), crop growth rate (CGR) (2.9 g day⁻¹ m⁻²), branching number (12.5), and protein content (22.96) compared with the control or phosphorine. Among the nanoparticles, Ca+B maximally improved plant height, CGR, 100-seed weight, shelling percentage, seed yield, oil content, and seed protein, while plants treated with B exhibited maximum seed nitrogen, pods per plant, and biological yield compared to other treatments. Overall, plants treated with Ca and B nanoparticles and mycorrhiza exhibited remarkable improvement in their growth, yield, and biochemical attributes, suggesting that nanotechnology and biofertilization are steps toward environmentally friendly, progressive farming. This study laid the basis for further elucidation of the molecular mechanism of plants in response to these nanoparticles and biofertilizers.