Remediation of salt and boron-affected soil by addition of organic matter: an investigation into improving tomato plant productivity

Abstract

To mitigate the effect of salt stress and excess B in soil and consequently increase crop yield and improve the behaviour of cv. "Poncho Negro" there are low-cost strategies such as the application of organic amendments. This study aimed at remediating excess salt (150 mM NaCl) and B (20 mg L -1 B) in soil using organic matter treatment (4% and 6%). Stress was supplied by irrigation. The rate of net CO 2 assimilation, B, Na + , K and Ca 2+ content, soluble sugars and proline were measured. All growth parameters measured were higher with 6% organic matter (OM) in soil than with 4% OM, including salinity treatments and excessive B, while Na + and B concentrations were reduced in leaves and roots. The photosynthesis rate was maintained at the level of control plants with 6% OM applied in soil in treatments with salinity alone and with excess B. In the salinity alone treatment there was a marked increase in the content of compatible solutes, but with the application of 6% OM their content was reduced by more than 100%. The remediation of salt and boron-affected soil by addition of organic matter (6%) is an effective way to improve the behaviour of tomato.Key words: organic matter, boric acid, salinity, Solanum lycopersicum L. RESUMEN Para mitigar el efecto del estrés de sal y exceso B en el suelo y, consecuentemente, aumentar y mejorar el comportamiento de cv. de tomate "Poncho Negro", como una estrategia de bajo costo como es la aplicación de enmiendas orgánicas. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo remediar el exceso de sal (NaCl 150 mM) y B (20 mg L -1 B) en el suelo mediante el tratamiento de aplicación de materia orgánica (4% y 6% M.O.). El estrés

Boron Toxicity and Deficiency in Agricultural Plants

“…The relationships between boron and other elements, such as Ca, S, Zn, Si, and Al were used for developing amendments that are intended either for soil improvements or for the alleviation of the toxic effects on plants [174][175][176]. Organic matter, as well as various plant growth modulators, was applied in attempts to mitigate excess boron [177,178]. Developing and applying cost-effective methods for boron removal from irrigation water would solve the problem of the most common anthropogenic source of contamination [124,[179][180][181].…”

Salt Stress in Plants and Amelioration Strategies: A Critical Review

“…The application of organic amendments in SAS is considered a useful and effective way to increase soil fertility and enhance crop growth [31,157]. The application of organic amendments in SAS increased the biomass yield of alfalfa, Medicago sativa [182]; barley, Hordeum vulgare [31]; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum [143]; maize, Zea mays [32,159,183]; onion, Allium cepa [142]; rice, Oryza sativa [31,153,184]; seepweed, Suaeda salsa [185]; sweet fennel, Foeniculum vulgare [186]; tomato, Solanum lycopersicum [187]; and wheat, Triticum aestivum [139]. The quantitative and qualitative improvements in the growth and yield attributes of crops as affected by abiotic stresses in the presence of different additives might be due to the enhanced photosynthesis, cholorophyll contents, stomatal conductance, water-use efficiency, and synthesis of metabolites [137,[188][189][190][191].…”

“…Organic manure incorporation into the SAS also increased the N, P, and K contents in rice, Oryza sativa, barley, Hordeum vulgare [31], and sweet fennel, Foeniculum vulgare [186]; K content in rice, Oryza sativa [184,192]; and K and Ca contents in tomato, Solanum lycopersicum [187], while it decreased the Na uptake [31,184,186,187]. Improved soil physical conditions, availability of macro-and micronutrients, and enhanced microbial activities in soil resulting from the incorporation of organic amendments lead to better growth and yield of crops under salt stress [30,175].…”

Assessing Yield Response and Relationship of Soil Boron Fractions with Its Accumulation in Sorghum and Cowpea under Boron Fertilization in Different Soil Series

“…Based on published information about the combined effects of salinity and B concentration [72,73], the current study used relatively higher salinity and B levels in order to test extreme conditions. Some early investigators reported that shoot dry weight responded independently to boron and salinity with no interactive effect [74,75]. Membrane permeability was reported to be the main cause of the difference in B concentration of the crops [56,76].…”