Salinity Stress Mitigation Using Encapsulated Biofertilizers for Sustainable Agriculture

Nermin Adel Hussein El Semary, Mohamed Helmi Hadj Alouane, Olfa Nasr, Munirah F. Aldayel, Fatimah H. Alhaweti and Faheem Ahmed
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Nermin Adel Hussein El Semary: Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, King Faisal University, P.O Box: 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed Helmi Hadj Alouane: Department of Physics, College of Science, King Faisal University, P.O Box: 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Olfa Nasr: Department of Physics, College of Science, King Faisal University, P.O Box: 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Munirah F. Aldayel: Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, King Faisal University, P.O Box: 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Fatimah H. Alhaweti: Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, King Faisal University, P.O Box: 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Faheem Ahmed: Department of Physics, College of Science, King Faisal University, P.O Box: 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 21, 1-16

Abstract: The harmful effect of salinity stress on crops needs to be mitigated. Therefore, the application of microbial inoculum in combination with nanomaterials and methyl salicylate was investigated. Initially, different seeds were exposed to salinity levels treated with variable microbial treatments using different modes of applications. The microbial treatments included application of cyanobacterial strain Cyanothece sp. and the rhizobacterium Enterobacter cloacae , alone or in combination with one another, and a final treatment using combined microbial inoculum supplied with methyl salicylate. Later, different nanomaterials were used, namely, graphene, graphene oxide, and carbon nanotubes in combination with biofertilizers on the highest salinity level. The nanomaterial with microbial treatment and methyl salicylate were applied partly as a mixture in soil and partly as capsules. Results showed that salinity stress had a drastic inhibitory effect on growth parameters, especially at −5 MPa level. Nonetheless, the microbial treatments significantly alleviated the deleterious effect of salinity stress, especially when combined with methyl salicylate. When the nanomaterials were added to biofertilizers at highest salinity level, the inhibitory effect of salinity was mostly alleviated. Smart use of synergistic biofertilizers alongside the right nanomaterial, both encapsulated and in soil, would allow for mitigation and alleviation of inhibitory effect of salinity.

Keywords: Biofertilisers; blue green algae; capsule; carbon nanotubes (CNTs); cyanobacteria, Cyanothece sp.; graphene; graphene oxide (GO); methyl salicylate; nanomaterials; rhizobacteria and salinity stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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