Plant nutrition is an essential element for crop production and enormous amounts of fertilizers a... more Plant nutrition is an essential element for crop production and enormous amounts of fertilizers are used in agricultural systems. However, these sources emit toxic gasses and compounds in the environment that not only deteriorate soil quality but also cause a reduction in the use efficiency of applied nutrients. Therefore, the value addition of these fertilizer sources by coating micronutrients, microbes, polymers or other organic and inorganic compounds have been advocated recently. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of value-added fertilizer sources for growth and yield improvement of Zea mays (Pioneer-30T60) and Oryza sativa (Super Basmati-515) with a reduction in ammonia volatilization and an improvement in nutrient recovery by crop grains. Different phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer sources (Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), polymer coated DAP, zarkhez plus NPK, urea, polymer-coated urea and zabardast urea) were used in different combinatio...
Biochar enhances soil fertility by improving the soil physical, chemical and microbiological prop... more Biochar enhances soil fertility by improving the soil physical, chemical and microbiological properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of corn cob-derived biochar on soil enzymatic activity, organic carbon, aggregate stability and soil microbial biomass carbon under drought stress. Biochar was prepared from crushed corn cobs pyrolyzed at 300 °C and 400 °C and applied at a ratio of 1% (w/w) and 3% (w/w) filled in pots. In each pot, three field capacity (FC) levels, i.e., 100, 70 and 40%, were maintained gravimetrically. Results showed that biochar application improved the growth (plant height and root length) and relative water content in maize leaves under drought stress, while it reduced electrolyte leakage compared to a control treatment. Aggregate stability was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in biochar amended soil. Moreover, microbial biomass carbon and soil water also increased under drought stress at 70% FC and 40% FC, respectively, where 3% w/w (400 °C)...
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021
Soil contamination with readily soluble salts and heavy metals is a major challenge concerning su... more Soil contamination with readily soluble salts and heavy metals is a major challenge concerning sustainable crop production. The use of organic wastes in agriculture not only helps in waste reduction but also acts as a soil conditioner and bio-stimulant for enhancing crop growth. In this regard, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of raw and processed animal manure (AM) on the growth, yield, and physicochemical parameters of Brassica napus L. developed under salinity and Ni stress. The experiment comprised two salinity levels (1.05 and 8 dS m−1), two Ni levels (0 and 50 mg kg−1), and two types of AMs (raw and processed at a rate of 2% w/w). A control treatment without AM incorporation was also included. In results, the application of AM markedly increased the growth and yield of B. napus under Ni and salinity stress; at the same time, it improved the physiological and chemical parameters of the said crop. Similarly, incorporation of processed AM significantly improved nutrient uptake and decreased Na/K ratios in the shoot and grain under the different stress conditions, as compared to the control. Likewise, Ni uptake in the grain, shoot, and root samples was also significantly reduced under the AM treatment. Also, the application of AM significantly reduced the daily intake of metal (DIM) index and the health risk index (HRI) values under the different stress conditions, as compared to the control. In conclusion, the application of processed AM constitutes an effective agricultural strategy to alleviate the adverse effects of Ni and salinity stress on growth, physiology, and yield of B. napus, thus resulting in enhanced productivity, as well as reduced risks associated with human health.
Conventional weed control practices have generated serious issues related to the environment and ... more Conventional weed control practices have generated serious issues related to the environment and human health. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of alternative techniques for sustainable agriculture. The present study performed a large-scale screening of allelopathic bacteria from the rhizosphere of weeds and wheat to obtain biological weed control inoculants in the cultivation of wheat. Initially, around 400 strains of rhizobacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of weeds as well as wheat that grows in areas of chronic weed invasions. A series of the screen was performed on these strains, including the release of phytotoxic metabolites, growth inhibition of sensitive Escherichia coli, growth inhibition of indicator plant of lettuce, agar bioassays on five weeds, and agar bioassay on wheat. Firstly, 22.6% (89 strains) of the total strains were cyanogenic, and among the cyanogenic strains, 21.3% (19 strains) were inhibitory to the growth of sensitive E. coli. Then,...
Application of allelopathic bacteria (AB) for weed suppression may be helpful to solve various en... more Application of allelopathic bacteria (AB) for weed suppression may be helpful to solve various environmental challenges posed by conventional weed control techniques. In our earlier studies, around 400 strains of rhizobacteria of five weeds and wheat were isolated, screened for production of phytotoxic substances, and tested for phytotoxic activity on wild oat and little seed canary grass, and possible effects on wheat under laboratory conditions. We obtained 13 strains inhibitory to wild oat (Avena fatua L.) and 11 to little seed canary grass (Phalaris minor Retz.). Five of these (13 and 11) strains also suppressed wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) while others either stimulated or remained ineffective on wheat in separate bioassays. The success of any weed biocontrol technique, however, depends on its response under field conditions. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate biological weed control of the five most efficient strains of AB under natural conditions in pot...
Aquatic pollution caused by industrial effluents is an environmental issue, imposing deleterious ... more Aquatic pollution caused by industrial effluents is an environmental issue, imposing deleterious impacts on the overall environment, specifically, on humans, by disrupting the balance of the ecosystem. Among all the industries, tanneries are considered some of the most polluting due to heavy use of toxic organic and inorganic compounds during leather processing, most of which find their way into rivers, lakes, and streams, thus exerting adverse effects on aquatic life, particularly on fish. Considering the huge concentrations of pollutants present in tannery effluents, toxicity evaluation is of prime importance. Therefore, bioassays are usually employed to assess the acute toxicity of industrial effluents and efficiency of effluent clean-up technologies as they provide a thorough response of test species to the substances present in the tested media. In the present study, the toxic effects of tannery effluent on common grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were studied for 96 h in la...
The phytoremediation potential of macrophytic species has made them an inevitable component of co... more The phytoremediation potential of macrophytic species has made them an inevitable component of constructed wetlands (CWs) for the treatment of industrial effluents. The macrophytes must have tolerance for the harsh conditions imposed by effluents for an effective establishment of the CW system. In this context, the basic purpose of this work was to investigate the efficacy of five indigenous emergent macrophytes (Brachiaria mutica, Canna indica, Cyperus laevigatus, Leptochloa fusca, and Typha domingensis) for the remediation of tannery effluent in vertical subsurface flow CWs. The ability of each macrophytic species to tolerate pollution load and to remove pollutants from the effluent was assessed. The effect of tannery effluent on the survival and growth of macrophytes was also studied. The treated tannery effluent samples were analyzed for electrical conductivity (EC), pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended...
Wheat is the staple cereal crop of Pakistan but its growth is rigorously affected by associated w... more Wheat is the staple cereal crop of Pakistan but its growth is rigorously affected by associated weeds. Present study evaluated the synergistic effect of plant antagonistic rhizobacteria and fungi on growth, yield and suppression of wheat-associated weeds. Wheat associated weeds Phalaris minor and Avena fatua were grown in pots containing wheat as well. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1 and Trichoderma harzianum T-MN6 were used as amendments to check their effect on two major weeds of wheat. The combined application of PAO1 and T-MN6 reduced the shoot length of Phalaris minor up to 30% and Avena fatua 40%, root length 22% and 28%, fresh biomass 29% and 31% respectively over their sole application. Similarly, inoculation of PAO1 and T-MN6 alone and in combination considerably enhanced growth, yield and physiological parameters of wheat. It was inferred from this study that the synergistic application of PGPR and fungi is a promising option to suppress major weeds of wheat and to enha...
Sustainable management of phosphorus (P) is one of the burning issues in agriculture because the ... more Sustainable management of phosphorus (P) is one of the burning issues in agriculture because the reported P losses, when applied in the form of mineral fertilizer, give rise to another issue of water pollution as P is considered one of the limiting nutrients for eutrophication and so results in costly water treatments. In the present study, the enrichment of biochar with mineral P fertilizer was supposed to reduce such losses from the soil. Additionally, P can also be recycled through this technique at the same time as biochar is derived from biomass. Biochar was prepared using wheat straw followed by its enrichment with di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) at the ratio of 1:1 on a w/w basis. The first pot trial for spring maize (cv. Neelam) was conducted using phosphorus-enriched biochar (PEB) at 0% and 1% with different levels of recommended P (0%, 25%, 50%, and 100%). The treatments were arranged factorially under a complete randomized design (CRD) with three replications. After harvestin...
Zinc (Zn) is critical for the activity of many enzymes including involved photosynthetic CO2 fixa... more Zinc (Zn) is critical for the activity of many enzymes including involved photosynthetic CO2 fixation and indirectly involved in the production of growth hormones and internode elongation in crop plants. In this regard, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the comparative effectiveness of the Zn blended, Zn coated and bio-activated Zn coated urea on the growth, physiological, yield, and quality of wheat. Three types of urea were prepared including bio-activated Zn coated, Zn coated and Zn blended urea. The bio-activated Zn coated urea was prepared by inoculating the powdered organic material with Zn solubilizing bacterium (Bacillus sp. AZ6) and then this material was mixed with ZnO. This bioactive Zn was coated on urea at the rate to formulate 1.5% bio-activated Zn coated urea. Moreover, Zn blended urea was prepared by mixing powder ZnO with urea while Zn coated urea with 1.5% Zn was prepared by mixing ZnO and urea under proper moisture conditions to ensure proper coating...
Low availability of native soil phosphorus (P) is a major constraint limiting sustainable crop pr... more Low availability of native soil phosphorus (P) is a major constraint limiting sustainable crop production especially in alkaline calcareous soils. Application of organic manure in this regard has gained attention of the scientific community. Yet, the potential of fermented animal manure in improving P use efficiency and subsequent crop yield has not been assessed. This pot experiment was designed to study the performance of wheat under application of non-fermented and fermented animal manure in combination with 0, 45 or 90 kg·ha−1 phosphorus in the form of diammonium phosphate (DAP). Results show that non-fermented animal manure and split dose of phosphorus fertilizer improved plant quantitative attributes including plant growth, yield and nutrient uptake parameters. However, the placement of fermented animal manure combined with the full amount of P (90 kg·ha−1) fertilizer gave the mean highest value of fertile tillers per pot (12) and their grain yield (5.2 g). Moreover, plant phy...
Wheat is one of the leading staple crops in many countries. Phosphorus (P) plays an important rol... more Wheat is one of the leading staple crops in many countries. Phosphorus (P) plays an important role for wheat growth and yield as it takes part in many metabolic pathways. Even for soluble phosphatic fertilizers, most of the Pakistani soils, being alkaline and calcareous in nature, show phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) not more than 10–25%. The major issue is the unavailability of P due to fixation and precipitation reactions with soil particles. Composting of rock-phosphate with animal and poultry manures supplied with bio-stimulated phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) not only enhances the RP solubilization but also serves as a potent source of P for plants. Composted/bio-activated rock-phosphate (B-RP), prepared by group of three bacterial strains i.e., Pseudomonas sp. (E11), Bacillus sp. (MN54) and Enterobacter sp. (MN17) aided with molasses (5%) and urea (10%), was tested alone and in various combinations with di-ammonium phosphate (DAP). In this pot trial, the combined applica...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Soil pollution with heavy metal is a serious problem across the globe and is on the rise due to t... more Soil pollution with heavy metal is a serious problem across the globe and is on the rise due to the current intensification of chemical industry. The leather industry is one of them, discharging chromium (Cr) in huge quantities during the process of leather tanning and polluting the nearby land and water resources, resulting in deterioration of plant growth. In this study, the effects of biochar application at the rate of 3% were studied on four maize cultivars, namely NK-8441, P-1543, NK-8711, and FH-985, grown in two different tannery polluted Kasur (K) and Sialkot (S) soils. Maize plants were harvested at vegetative growth and results showed that Cr toxicity adversely not only affected their growth, physiology, and biochemistry, but also accumulated in their tissues. However, the level of Cr toxicity, accumulation, and its influence on maize cultivars varied greatly in both soils. In this pot experiment, biochar application played a crucial role in lessening the Cr toxicity level...
Reduced germination and early crop maturity due to soil compaction, nutrients stress, and low moi... more Reduced germination and early crop maturity due to soil compaction, nutrients stress, and low moisture are major constraints to achieve optimum crop yield, ultimately resulting in significant economic damages and food shortages. Biochar, having the potential to improve physical and chemical properties of soil, can also improve nutrients and moisture access to plants. In the present study, a growth room experiment was conducted to assess biochar influence on maize seed germination, early growth of seedlings, and its physiological attributes. Corn cob biochar (CCB) was mixed with soil at different rates (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, and 3% w/w) before seed sowing. Results obtained showed that increasing CCB application rate have neutral to positive effects on seed germination and seedling growth of maize. Biochar addition at the rate of 1.5% (w/w) significantly increased shoot dry biomass (40%), root dry biomass (32%), total chlorophyll content (a and b) (55%), germination percentage (13...
Among heavy metals, chromium (Cr) contamination is increasing gradually due to the use of untreat... more Among heavy metals, chromium (Cr) contamination is increasing gradually due to the use of untreated industrial effluents for irrigation purposes, thereby posing a severe threat to crop production. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of compost, biochar (BC), and co-composted BC on the growth, physiological, biochemical attributes, and health risks associated with the consumption of Brassica grown on Cr-contaminated soil. Results revealed that Cr stress (Cr-25) significantly reduced the growth and physiological attributes and increased antioxidant enzyme activities in Brassica, but the applied amendments considerably retrieved the negative effects of Cr toxicity through improving the growth and physiology of plants. The maximum increase in plant height (75.3%), root length (151.0%), shoot dry weight (139.4%), root dry weight (158.5%), and photosynthetic rate (151.0%) was noted with the application of co-composted BC under Cr stress (Cr-25) in comparison to the control. The app...
Zinc (Zn) availability is limited in salt-affected soils due to high soil pH and calcium concentr... more Zinc (Zn) availability is limited in salt-affected soils due to high soil pH and calcium concentrations causing Zn fixation. The application of synthetic Zn fertilizer is usually discouraged due to the high cost and low Zn use efficiency. However, salt-tolerant Zn-solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) are capable of solubilizing fixed fractions of Zn and improving fertilizer use efficiency. In the current study, a product was formulated by coating urea with bioaugmented zinc oxide (ZnO) to improve wheat productivity under a saline environment. The promising ZSB strain Bacillus sp. AZ6 was used for bioaugmentation on ZnO powder and termed as Bacillus sp. AZ6-augmented ZnO (BAZ). The experiment was conducted in pots by applying urea granules after coating with BAZ, to evaluate its effects on wheat physiology, antioxidant activity, and productivity under saline (100 mM NaCl) and non-saline (0 mM NaCl) conditions. The results revealed that the application of BAZ-coated urea alleviated salt stress...
Plant nutrition is an essential element for crop production and enormous amounts of fertilizers a... more Plant nutrition is an essential element for crop production and enormous amounts of fertilizers are used in agricultural systems. However, these sources emit toxic gasses and compounds in the environment that not only deteriorate soil quality but also cause a reduction in the use efficiency of applied nutrients. Therefore, the value addition of these fertilizer sources by coating micronutrients, microbes, polymers or other organic and inorganic compounds have been advocated recently. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of value-added fertilizer sources for growth and yield improvement of Zea mays (Pioneer-30T60) and Oryza sativa (Super Basmati-515) with a reduction in ammonia volatilization and an improvement in nutrient recovery by crop grains. Different phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer sources (Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), polymer coated DAP, zarkhez plus NPK, urea, polymer-coated urea and zabardast urea) were used in different combinatio...
Biochar enhances soil fertility by improving the soil physical, chemical and microbiological prop... more Biochar enhances soil fertility by improving the soil physical, chemical and microbiological properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of corn cob-derived biochar on soil enzymatic activity, organic carbon, aggregate stability and soil microbial biomass carbon under drought stress. Biochar was prepared from crushed corn cobs pyrolyzed at 300 °C and 400 °C and applied at a ratio of 1% (w/w) and 3% (w/w) filled in pots. In each pot, three field capacity (FC) levels, i.e., 100, 70 and 40%, were maintained gravimetrically. Results showed that biochar application improved the growth (plant height and root length) and relative water content in maize leaves under drought stress, while it reduced electrolyte leakage compared to a control treatment. Aggregate stability was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in biochar amended soil. Moreover, microbial biomass carbon and soil water also increased under drought stress at 70% FC and 40% FC, respectively, where 3% w/w (400 °C)...
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021
Soil contamination with readily soluble salts and heavy metals is a major challenge concerning su... more Soil contamination with readily soluble salts and heavy metals is a major challenge concerning sustainable crop production. The use of organic wastes in agriculture not only helps in waste reduction but also acts as a soil conditioner and bio-stimulant for enhancing crop growth. In this regard, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of raw and processed animal manure (AM) on the growth, yield, and physicochemical parameters of Brassica napus L. developed under salinity and Ni stress. The experiment comprised two salinity levels (1.05 and 8 dS m−1), two Ni levels (0 and 50 mg kg−1), and two types of AMs (raw and processed at a rate of 2% w/w). A control treatment without AM incorporation was also included. In results, the application of AM markedly increased the growth and yield of B. napus under Ni and salinity stress; at the same time, it improved the physiological and chemical parameters of the said crop. Similarly, incorporation of processed AM significantly improved nutrient uptake and decreased Na/K ratios in the shoot and grain under the different stress conditions, as compared to the control. Likewise, Ni uptake in the grain, shoot, and root samples was also significantly reduced under the AM treatment. Also, the application of AM significantly reduced the daily intake of metal (DIM) index and the health risk index (HRI) values under the different stress conditions, as compared to the control. In conclusion, the application of processed AM constitutes an effective agricultural strategy to alleviate the adverse effects of Ni and salinity stress on growth, physiology, and yield of B. napus, thus resulting in enhanced productivity, as well as reduced risks associated with human health.
Conventional weed control practices have generated serious issues related to the environment and ... more Conventional weed control practices have generated serious issues related to the environment and human health. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of alternative techniques for sustainable agriculture. The present study performed a large-scale screening of allelopathic bacteria from the rhizosphere of weeds and wheat to obtain biological weed control inoculants in the cultivation of wheat. Initially, around 400 strains of rhizobacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of weeds as well as wheat that grows in areas of chronic weed invasions. A series of the screen was performed on these strains, including the release of phytotoxic metabolites, growth inhibition of sensitive Escherichia coli, growth inhibition of indicator plant of lettuce, agar bioassays on five weeds, and agar bioassay on wheat. Firstly, 22.6% (89 strains) of the total strains were cyanogenic, and among the cyanogenic strains, 21.3% (19 strains) were inhibitory to the growth of sensitive E. coli. Then,...
Application of allelopathic bacteria (AB) for weed suppression may be helpful to solve various en... more Application of allelopathic bacteria (AB) for weed suppression may be helpful to solve various environmental challenges posed by conventional weed control techniques. In our earlier studies, around 400 strains of rhizobacteria of five weeds and wheat were isolated, screened for production of phytotoxic substances, and tested for phytotoxic activity on wild oat and little seed canary grass, and possible effects on wheat under laboratory conditions. We obtained 13 strains inhibitory to wild oat (Avena fatua L.) and 11 to little seed canary grass (Phalaris minor Retz.). Five of these (13 and 11) strains also suppressed wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) while others either stimulated or remained ineffective on wheat in separate bioassays. The success of any weed biocontrol technique, however, depends on its response under field conditions. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate biological weed control of the five most efficient strains of AB under natural conditions in pot...
Aquatic pollution caused by industrial effluents is an environmental issue, imposing deleterious ... more Aquatic pollution caused by industrial effluents is an environmental issue, imposing deleterious impacts on the overall environment, specifically, on humans, by disrupting the balance of the ecosystem. Among all the industries, tanneries are considered some of the most polluting due to heavy use of toxic organic and inorganic compounds during leather processing, most of which find their way into rivers, lakes, and streams, thus exerting adverse effects on aquatic life, particularly on fish. Considering the huge concentrations of pollutants present in tannery effluents, toxicity evaluation is of prime importance. Therefore, bioassays are usually employed to assess the acute toxicity of industrial effluents and efficiency of effluent clean-up technologies as they provide a thorough response of test species to the substances present in the tested media. In the present study, the toxic effects of tannery effluent on common grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were studied for 96 h in la...
The phytoremediation potential of macrophytic species has made them an inevitable component of co... more The phytoremediation potential of macrophytic species has made them an inevitable component of constructed wetlands (CWs) for the treatment of industrial effluents. The macrophytes must have tolerance for the harsh conditions imposed by effluents for an effective establishment of the CW system. In this context, the basic purpose of this work was to investigate the efficacy of five indigenous emergent macrophytes (Brachiaria mutica, Canna indica, Cyperus laevigatus, Leptochloa fusca, and Typha domingensis) for the remediation of tannery effluent in vertical subsurface flow CWs. The ability of each macrophytic species to tolerate pollution load and to remove pollutants from the effluent was assessed. The effect of tannery effluent on the survival and growth of macrophytes was also studied. The treated tannery effluent samples were analyzed for electrical conductivity (EC), pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended...
Wheat is the staple cereal crop of Pakistan but its growth is rigorously affected by associated w... more Wheat is the staple cereal crop of Pakistan but its growth is rigorously affected by associated weeds. Present study evaluated the synergistic effect of plant antagonistic rhizobacteria and fungi on growth, yield and suppression of wheat-associated weeds. Wheat associated weeds Phalaris minor and Avena fatua were grown in pots containing wheat as well. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1 and Trichoderma harzianum T-MN6 were used as amendments to check their effect on two major weeds of wheat. The combined application of PAO1 and T-MN6 reduced the shoot length of Phalaris minor up to 30% and Avena fatua 40%, root length 22% and 28%, fresh biomass 29% and 31% respectively over their sole application. Similarly, inoculation of PAO1 and T-MN6 alone and in combination considerably enhanced growth, yield and physiological parameters of wheat. It was inferred from this study that the synergistic application of PGPR and fungi is a promising option to suppress major weeds of wheat and to enha...
Sustainable management of phosphorus (P) is one of the burning issues in agriculture because the ... more Sustainable management of phosphorus (P) is one of the burning issues in agriculture because the reported P losses, when applied in the form of mineral fertilizer, give rise to another issue of water pollution as P is considered one of the limiting nutrients for eutrophication and so results in costly water treatments. In the present study, the enrichment of biochar with mineral P fertilizer was supposed to reduce such losses from the soil. Additionally, P can also be recycled through this technique at the same time as biochar is derived from biomass. Biochar was prepared using wheat straw followed by its enrichment with di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) at the ratio of 1:1 on a w/w basis. The first pot trial for spring maize (cv. Neelam) was conducted using phosphorus-enriched biochar (PEB) at 0% and 1% with different levels of recommended P (0%, 25%, 50%, and 100%). The treatments were arranged factorially under a complete randomized design (CRD) with three replications. After harvestin...
Zinc (Zn) is critical for the activity of many enzymes including involved photosynthetic CO2 fixa... more Zinc (Zn) is critical for the activity of many enzymes including involved photosynthetic CO2 fixation and indirectly involved in the production of growth hormones and internode elongation in crop plants. In this regard, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the comparative effectiveness of the Zn blended, Zn coated and bio-activated Zn coated urea on the growth, physiological, yield, and quality of wheat. Three types of urea were prepared including bio-activated Zn coated, Zn coated and Zn blended urea. The bio-activated Zn coated urea was prepared by inoculating the powdered organic material with Zn solubilizing bacterium (Bacillus sp. AZ6) and then this material was mixed with ZnO. This bioactive Zn was coated on urea at the rate to formulate 1.5% bio-activated Zn coated urea. Moreover, Zn blended urea was prepared by mixing powder ZnO with urea while Zn coated urea with 1.5% Zn was prepared by mixing ZnO and urea under proper moisture conditions to ensure proper coating...
Low availability of native soil phosphorus (P) is a major constraint limiting sustainable crop pr... more Low availability of native soil phosphorus (P) is a major constraint limiting sustainable crop production especially in alkaline calcareous soils. Application of organic manure in this regard has gained attention of the scientific community. Yet, the potential of fermented animal manure in improving P use efficiency and subsequent crop yield has not been assessed. This pot experiment was designed to study the performance of wheat under application of non-fermented and fermented animal manure in combination with 0, 45 or 90 kg·ha−1 phosphorus in the form of diammonium phosphate (DAP). Results show that non-fermented animal manure and split dose of phosphorus fertilizer improved plant quantitative attributes including plant growth, yield and nutrient uptake parameters. However, the placement of fermented animal manure combined with the full amount of P (90 kg·ha−1) fertilizer gave the mean highest value of fertile tillers per pot (12) and their grain yield (5.2 g). Moreover, plant phy...
Wheat is one of the leading staple crops in many countries. Phosphorus (P) plays an important rol... more Wheat is one of the leading staple crops in many countries. Phosphorus (P) plays an important role for wheat growth and yield as it takes part in many metabolic pathways. Even for soluble phosphatic fertilizers, most of the Pakistani soils, being alkaline and calcareous in nature, show phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) not more than 10–25%. The major issue is the unavailability of P due to fixation and precipitation reactions with soil particles. Composting of rock-phosphate with animal and poultry manures supplied with bio-stimulated phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) not only enhances the RP solubilization but also serves as a potent source of P for plants. Composted/bio-activated rock-phosphate (B-RP), prepared by group of three bacterial strains i.e., Pseudomonas sp. (E11), Bacillus sp. (MN54) and Enterobacter sp. (MN17) aided with molasses (5%) and urea (10%), was tested alone and in various combinations with di-ammonium phosphate (DAP). In this pot trial, the combined applica...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Soil pollution with heavy metal is a serious problem across the globe and is on the rise due to t... more Soil pollution with heavy metal is a serious problem across the globe and is on the rise due to the current intensification of chemical industry. The leather industry is one of them, discharging chromium (Cr) in huge quantities during the process of leather tanning and polluting the nearby land and water resources, resulting in deterioration of plant growth. In this study, the effects of biochar application at the rate of 3% were studied on four maize cultivars, namely NK-8441, P-1543, NK-8711, and FH-985, grown in two different tannery polluted Kasur (K) and Sialkot (S) soils. Maize plants were harvested at vegetative growth and results showed that Cr toxicity adversely not only affected their growth, physiology, and biochemistry, but also accumulated in their tissues. However, the level of Cr toxicity, accumulation, and its influence on maize cultivars varied greatly in both soils. In this pot experiment, biochar application played a crucial role in lessening the Cr toxicity level...
Reduced germination and early crop maturity due to soil compaction, nutrients stress, and low moi... more Reduced germination and early crop maturity due to soil compaction, nutrients stress, and low moisture are major constraints to achieve optimum crop yield, ultimately resulting in significant economic damages and food shortages. Biochar, having the potential to improve physical and chemical properties of soil, can also improve nutrients and moisture access to plants. In the present study, a growth room experiment was conducted to assess biochar influence on maize seed germination, early growth of seedlings, and its physiological attributes. Corn cob biochar (CCB) was mixed with soil at different rates (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, and 3% w/w) before seed sowing. Results obtained showed that increasing CCB application rate have neutral to positive effects on seed germination and seedling growth of maize. Biochar addition at the rate of 1.5% (w/w) significantly increased shoot dry biomass (40%), root dry biomass (32%), total chlorophyll content (a and b) (55%), germination percentage (13...
Among heavy metals, chromium (Cr) contamination is increasing gradually due to the use of untreat... more Among heavy metals, chromium (Cr) contamination is increasing gradually due to the use of untreated industrial effluents for irrigation purposes, thereby posing a severe threat to crop production. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of compost, biochar (BC), and co-composted BC on the growth, physiological, biochemical attributes, and health risks associated with the consumption of Brassica grown on Cr-contaminated soil. Results revealed that Cr stress (Cr-25) significantly reduced the growth and physiological attributes and increased antioxidant enzyme activities in Brassica, but the applied amendments considerably retrieved the negative effects of Cr toxicity through improving the growth and physiology of plants. The maximum increase in plant height (75.3%), root length (151.0%), shoot dry weight (139.4%), root dry weight (158.5%), and photosynthetic rate (151.0%) was noted with the application of co-composted BC under Cr stress (Cr-25) in comparison to the control. The app...
Zinc (Zn) availability is limited in salt-affected soils due to high soil pH and calcium concentr... more Zinc (Zn) availability is limited in salt-affected soils due to high soil pH and calcium concentrations causing Zn fixation. The application of synthetic Zn fertilizer is usually discouraged due to the high cost and low Zn use efficiency. However, salt-tolerant Zn-solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) are capable of solubilizing fixed fractions of Zn and improving fertilizer use efficiency. In the current study, a product was formulated by coating urea with bioaugmented zinc oxide (ZnO) to improve wheat productivity under a saline environment. The promising ZSB strain Bacillus sp. AZ6 was used for bioaugmentation on ZnO powder and termed as Bacillus sp. AZ6-augmented ZnO (BAZ). The experiment was conducted in pots by applying urea granules after coating with BAZ, to evaluate its effects on wheat physiology, antioxidant activity, and productivity under saline (100 mM NaCl) and non-saline (0 mM NaCl) conditions. The results revealed that the application of BAZ-coated urea alleviated salt stress...
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