Effect of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Soil Amendments on Wheat Yield, Physiological Attributes and Soil Properties Grown in the Saline – Sodic Soil

Soil degradation with salinity and sodicity has become a major issue in Egypt causing a decline in soil quality and crop productivity in these soils. The addition of gypsum (G), rice straw compost (C) and foliar application of ZnO nanoparticles (Z) as foliar application and their combinations to improve soil quality and physiology of wheat plants in saline-sodic soil is unclear. We studied the effects of G, C, Z and their integrated application in the field experiment during the two winter seasons in full form design on some soil properties, proline content, antioxidant enzyme activity and yield of wheat plants grown in the saline – sodic soil. The results showed that the addition of G, C or Z alone or their integrated application led to a significant increase in soil total porosity, infiltration rate, organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and zinc (Zn) uptake, the yield of wheat plant and a decrease in soil salinity and exchangeable sodium percentage in both seasons. The proline, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase content increased by 605.0%, 20.5% and 12.1% for Z while it increased by 617.5%, 34.4% and 15.2% for G + Z, respectively, compared to the control. The experimental results confirmed that integration of G or C with foliar application of Z can be a promising strategy to alleviate abiotic stresses wheat plants grown under saline-sodic soil and improve their quality.