Small-Sized Nanophosphorus Has a Positive Impact on the Performance of Fenugreek Plants under Soil-Water Deficit Stress: A Case Study under Field Conditions

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient necessary for plant growth, development, and reproduction. Two field experiments were carried out in 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 on P-deficient soil to evaluate the impact of foliar fertilization with nanophosphorus (nP) on growth, yield, and physio-biochemical indices, as well as trigonelline content of fenugreek plants under deficient irrigation (dI) stress (a deficit of 20 and 40% of crop evapotranspiration; dI-20 and dI-40). The growth and yield traits, leaf integrity (relative water content and membrane stability index), photosynthetic pigment contents, leaf and seed P contents, and stem and leaf anatomical features significantly decreased under dI-20, with greater reductions recorded under dI-40. In contrast, water-use efficiency, osmoprotective compounds, including free amino acids, soluble sugars, proline, and trigonelline, along with antioxidant contents (ascorbate, glutathione, phenolics, and flavonoids) and their activity increased significantly under both dI-20 and dI-40. However, foliar feeding with nano-P considerably increased plant growth and yield traits, leaf integrity, photosynthetic pigments contents, leaf and seed P contents, and anatomical features. Besides, water-use efficiency, osmoprotectant contents, and antioxidant content and activity were further increased under both dI-20 and dI-40. The positive effects were more pronounced with the smaller nP (25 nm) than the larger nP (50 nm). The results of this study backed up the idea of using foliar nourishment with nP, which can be effective in modulating fenugreek plant growth and seed production.

Synergistic impact of nanomaterials and plant probiotics in agriculture: A tale of two-way strategy for long-term sustainability

“…Carbon nanotubes have potent antibacterial properties as well as induced defense activation after application to tomato crops infested with Alternaria solani ( González-García et al, 2021 ). The administration of the nanophosphorous (nP) via foliar application to plants growing in P-deficient soil increased plant growth and yield attributing metrics, leaf integrity, chlorophyll content, P contents of leaf and seed, and improved anatomical topographies ( Abou-Sreea et al, 2022 ). Table 1 depicts a recent scenario deciphering the beneficial effects of various NMs on plants.…”

Incorporation of compost and biochar enhances yield and medicinal compounds in seeds of water-stressed Trigonella foenum-graecum L. plants cultivated in saline calcareous soils

“…Moreover, its tender green leaves and pods are esteemed as edible vegetables for human consumption [ 2 ]. Fenugreek seeds contain bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids and saponins along with various secondary metabolites known for their therapeutic benefits, including alkaloidal trigonelline [ 3 – 5 ]. Trigonelline is recognized not only for its potential role as an osmoregulator and osmoprotectant under conditions of salt, drought, and oxidative stresses but also as an inducer of Nod genes during the interaction between Rhizobium and leguminous plants [ 6 , 7 ].…”

“…Studies have consistently demonstrated that any restriction in irrigation water availability is likely to lead to diminished growth and yield of annual crops, including fenugreek [ 5 , 20 ]. This decline can be attributed to inadequate leaching and high risk of soil salinity, both of which can detrimentally impact crop health and sustainability of irrigation practices [ 21 ].…”

Significance of selenium in ameliorating the effects of irrigation deficit via improving photosynthesis efficiency, cell integrity, osmo-protectants, and oil profile of anise crop

“…Deficit irrigation causes biochemical, physiological, and metabolic modifications in most plants which make a negative effect on growth characteristics, yield components, water relations and status in plants membrane stability and integrity, pigments content and activity of photosynthesis . However, DI stress stimulates water use efficiency (iWUE) (Rady et al, 2021b;Abou-Sreea et al, 2022;Abd El Mageed et al, 2023), osmotic regulation adaptation as well as antioxidant accumulation (Mohamed et al, 2009;Praba et al, 2009;Meena et al, 2016).…”