Enhancing sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) resilience grown in cadmium-contaminated saline soil: a synergistic approach using Moringa leaf extract and effective microorganisms application

Abdelsattar Abdelkhalik; Nasr M Abdou; Mohammad A H Gyushi; Ahmed Shaaban; Shimaa A Abd El-Mageed; Khaulood A Hemida; Taia A Abd El-Mageed

doi:10.1007/s11356-024-33295-w

Enhancing sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) resilience grown in cadmium-contaminated saline soil: a synergistic approach using Moringa leaf extract and effective microorganisms application

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024 Apr 23. doi: 10.1007/s11356-024-33295-w. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Abdelsattar Abdelkhalik¹, Nasr M Abdou², Mohammad A H Gyushi¹, Ahmed Shaaban³, Shimaa A Abd El-Mageed³, Khaulood A Hemida⁴, Taia A Abd El-Mageed⁵

Affiliations

¹ Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
² Soil and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
³ Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
⁴ Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
⁵ Soil and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt. taa00@fayoum.edu.eg.

PMID: 38653894
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33295-w

Abstract

Raising soil contamination with cadmium (Cd²⁺) and salinization necessitates the development of green approaches using bio-elicitors to ensure sustainable crop production and mitigate the detrimental health impacts. Two field trials were carried out to study the individual and combined effects of foliage spraying of Moringa leaf extract (MLE) and soil application of effective microorganisms (EMs) on the physio-biochemical, osmolytes, antioxidants, and performance of sweet potato grown in Cd²⁺-contaminated salty soil (Cd²⁺ = 17.42 mg kg^-1 soil and soil salinity ECe = 7.42 dS m^-1). Application of MLE, EMs, or MLE plus EMs significantly reduced the accumulation of Cd²⁺ in roots by 55.6%, 50.0%, or 68.1% and in leaves by 31.4%, 27.6%, or 38.0%, respectively, compared to the control. Co-application of MLE and EMs reduced Na⁺ concentration while substantially raising N, P, K⁺, and Ca²⁺ acquisition in the leaves. MLE and EMs-treated plants exhibited higher concentrations of total soluble sugar by 69.6%, free proline by 47.7%, total free amino acids by 29.0%, and protein by 125.7% compared to the control. The enzymatic (SOD, APX, GR, and CAT) and non-enzymatic (phenolic acids, GSH, and AsA) antioxidants increased in plants treated with MLE and/or EMs application. Applying MLE and/or EMs increased the leaf photosynthetic pigment contents, membrane stability, relative water content, water productivity, growth traits, and tuber yield of Cd²⁺ and salt-stressed sweet potato. Consequently, the integrative application of MLE and EMs achieved the best results exceeding the single treatments recommended in future application to sweet potato in saline soil contaminated with Cd²⁺.

Keywords: Biostimulants; Growth and productivity; Heavy metals; Osmoprotectants; Phytotoxicity; Salinity.