Impact of Soil Conditioners and Cyanobacteria under Varied Irrigation Levels on Growth and Productivity of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Sandy Soil

Abstract

During the winter seasons 2021/2022 and 2022/2023, two field experiments were conducted at the Ismailia Experiment Research Station in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to assess the effect of soil conditioners and cyanobacteria at different irrigation levels on the growth and productivity of wheat plants grown in sandy soil. The experimental treatments were arranged in the split-split plot design shown below:  Two bio fertilizer treatments were represented by subplot A0: no application and A1: cyanobacteria (Anabaena crcinalis) inoculation.  Four natural soil conditioner treatments at a rate of 2.4 mg ha-1 were arranged in sub-sub plot (control): no application, (Z) zeolite, (B) bentonite, and (F) feldspar. The results revealed that cyanobacteria inoculation combined with natural soil conditioners resulted in positive and statistically significant increases in all parameters studied. The highest mean values were obtained in the majority of cases when cyanobacteria and feldspar were combined in a 70% irrigation level, with no significant difference when cyanobacteria and feldspar were combined in full irrigation level. All growth parameters were increased per plant. The investigated factors had a significant impact on NPK uptake by grains and straw, total amino acid percentages in wheat grains, and available NPK in soil. Furthermore, the presence of cyanobacteria associated with soil conditioners led to an increase in soil dehydrogenase, indole acetic acid levels. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to use cyanobacteria and soil conditioners as natural resources to minimize water use while boosting the production and growth characteristics of wheat plants. Finally, the findings of this study suggested that inoculating wheat plants with cyanobacteria in combination with soil conditioners can reduce up to 30% of the total amount of water required by wheat plants, and that using natural resources and bio fertilizer can be recommended to improve soil fertility while minimizing the environmental impact of chemical fertilizer.