نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Introduction: Drought stress arises from an imbalance between soil water evaporation and the availability of moisture, triggering a cascade of morpho-physiological and biochemical changes in plants that impair their growth, development, and productivity. Among the most detrimental impacts of drought is the diminished uptake of essential nutrients, which leads to deficiencies that exacerbate plant stress and reduce agricultural yields. As global populations continue to rise, ensuring food security under the pressures of climate change—including increasingly frequent and severe droughts—requires innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective agricultural practices. Modern strategies such as the application of soil amendments like zeolite and biochar have emerged as promising tools to mitigate drought-induced stress. These amendments enhance soil water retention, improve nutrient availability, and bolster plant resilience, offering a practical approach to sustaining crop productivity in water-scarce environments. By improving soil health, water-holding capacity, and nutrient uptake, these methods not only support plant growth under adverse conditions but also contribute to long-term agricultural sustainability, addressing the urgent need to adapt to climate variability. This study was designed and conducted to investigate the effects of biochar and zeolite organic fertilizers on the morphophysiological characteristics of safflower under drought stress conditions.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted during the 2022–2023 growing season at the Agricultural Research Institute of Zabol’s research farm, as split-factorial design within a randomized complete block framework, replicated three times. The main factor consisted of three irrigation levels based on field capacity (FC): 100% (well-watered), 75% (moderate stress), and 50% (severe stress). Sub-factors included factorial combinations of zeolite and biochar, each applied at three levels: 0% (control), 2.5%, and 5% of the soil’s bulk weight. These treatments were designed to assess their influence on agrophysiological traits under varying water availability. Data collection encompassed a range of parameters, including plant height, leaf area, chlorophyll content, seed yield, and oil percentage. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS software (version 9.1), with mean comparisons conducted at a 5% significance level using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test.
Results and Discussion: The findings revealed that drought stress significantly reduced total leaf chlorophyll content. A triple interaction (drought stress × biochar × zeolite) significantly influenced multiple traits, including plant height, leaf area, number of secondary branches, inflorescences per branch, thousand-seed weight, relative leaf water content, carotenoid levels, seed yield, and oil percentage. Mean comparisons highlighted that the highest seed yield was achieved under moderate drought (75% FC) with a combination of 2.5% biochar and 5% zeolite, suggesting an optimal balance of water conservation and nutrient enhancement. Conversely, the maximum oil percentage was recorded under full irrigation (100% FC) with 5% biochar and 5% zeolite, reflecting the synergistic effect of these amendments in well-watered conditions. The highest carotenoid content was observed under 100% FC with 2.5% zeolite and biochar, indicating improved photosynthetic efficiency. These results underscore the capacity of biochar and zeolite to mitigate drought-induced declines in morphophysiological traits and yield components by enhancing soil moisture retention and nutrient availability.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that reduced soil moisture adversely affects safflower’s morphophysiological characteristics and seed yield. However, the application of biochar and zeolite effectively counteracts these negative effects, particularly under intensified drought conditions. By improving water retention, nutrient uptake, and plant resilience, these amendments offer a viable strategy for sustaining crop productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. The findings advocate for the integration of biochar and zeolite into agricultural practices as a sustainable solution to enhance food security and adapt to climate change challenges.
کلیدواژهها English
