Rice Straw Vermicompost Enriched With Cellulolytic Microbes Ameliorate the Negative Effect of Drought in Wheat Through Modulating the Morpho-Physiological Attributes

Abstract

Wheat growth and productivity are unfavorably pretentious by a lack of sufficient water (drought or water deficit) worldwide. Drought stress significantly affects all the morpho-physiological and biochemical characteristics and the agronomical yield of wheat. Different management approaches have been adopted to cope with the negative effects of water deficit. Soil-applied vermicompost is helpful in improving the growth and developmental processes of wheat under water deficit conditions. Therefore, a trial was carried out to optimize the best amount of vermicompost and to assess its role in ameliorating the negative effects of drought for sustainable crop production. The treatments consisted of 1) two contrasting wheat cultivars Faisalabad-08 (drought-tolerant) and Galaxy-13 (drought-sensitive), 2) drought with three levels [D0 = 70% of field capacity (no drought), D1 = 45% of field capacity (mild drought), and D2 = 30% of field capacity (severe drought)] and 3) cellulolytic microbe-enriched vermicompost prepared from rice straw with four levels (VT0 = Control, VT1 = 4 t ha−1, VT2 = 6 t ha−1 , and VT3 = 8 t ha−1). Data on various morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters were recorded from sowing to crop harvesting. In this study, it was demonstrated that all these parameters were negatively affected by moisture deficit conditions. The application of vermi-fertilizer significantly increased (p < 0.05) the aforementioned parameters of wheat in both the absence and presence of drought. Under severe drought, VT2 treatment increased the seedling length by 14.02–26.14%, fresh weight by 15.16–22.91%, and dry weight by 0.37–28.20% in both cultivars compared with control. In addition, VT2 treatment reduced the leaf water potential by 6.36 and 3.36%, leaf osmotic potential by 1.74 and 1.68%, and increased the turgor potential by 4.83 and 3.36%, and photosynthetic rate by 18.59 and 26.42% in Faislabad-08 and Galaxy-13, respectively, over control. We concluded that the application of vermicompost is a valuable approach to alleviate the adverse impacts of water stress on wheat.

Impacts of Drought Stress on Water Use Efficiency and Grain Productivity of Rice and Utilization of Genotypic Variability to Combat Climate Change

“…Climate change has negatively influenced the performance of rice cropping systems and seasonal variations in rainfalls has increased the chances of drought stress occurrence [48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57]. Climatic variability has posed a huge threat to worldwide food security [58].…”

Enhancing Wheat Crop Resilience to Drought Stress through Cellulolytic Microbe-Enriched Cow Dung Vermicompost

“…The chemical composition such as pH, electric conductivity, nutrient, and heavy metal concentrations of prepared vermicompost and raw material (cow-manure) quantified by following the standard protocols of Ahmad et al 2 and Aslam et al 30 is shown in Table 2 .…”

“…According to an estimate, about 788.50 million metric tons of wheat are produced worldwide each year. Genetically, wheat is categorized into two major groups: hexaploid bread wheat and tetraploid durum wheat . Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) always shared a major part of the cultivated area as compared with durum wheat.…”

“…Vermicompost application as an organic fertilizer amplifies nutrient availability, soil water retention, and uptake, ultimately enhancing plant performance under stress conditions . In comparison to chemical and other organic fertilizers, previous studies have clearly demonstrated improved nutrient availability, as well as increased enzyme and microbial activity, following the application of vermicompost. , In our previous studies, , we studied the influence of plant-based vermicompost amendments on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of wheat seedlings under water deficit stress. However, the influence of animal-based vermicompost supplemented with a cellulolytic microbe on wheat seedlings under drought stress remains shrouded in uncertainty.…”

“…Genetically, wheat is categorized into two major groups: hexaploid bread wheat and tetraploid durum wheat. 2 Bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) always shared a major part of the cultivated area as compared with durum wheat. Wheat crop is widely grown across diverse agro-climatic conditions, ranging from tropical to subtropical regions, which exposes it to various environmental stresses.…”