Plant, Soil and Environment, 2025 (vol. 71), issue 8
Harnessing chlorophyll and canopy reflectance indices relationship for grain yield, protein and starch content in maize cultivars under different nitrogen treatmentsOriginal Paper
Muhoja Sylivester Nyandi, Ebenezer Ayew Appiah, Petér Pepó
Plant Soil Environ., 2025, 71(8):525-533 | DOI: 10.17221/633/2024-PSE 
Crop production faces increased climate change and land degradation stresses, compromising global food security with the growing population. Maize (Zea mays L.) is a versatile crop used for food, feed, and raw materials, contributing significantly to global food systems. Abiotic stresses like drought and soil fertility limit its production. Fertilisation is an amelioration technique that optimises maize growth and yield by maintaining optimum nutrition and leveraging nutrient deficiency conditions. Precision agricultural tools like chlorophyll meters are essential for non-destructive chlorophyll assessment and nitrogen status. An experiment...
Wheat (C3) and maize (C4) adaptive responses to soil thallium toxicity under elevated CO2 conditionsOriginal Paper
Wael A. Obaid, Samy Selim, Seham M. Hamed, Emad A. Alsherif, Shereen Magdy Korany, Hana Sonbol, Danyah A. Aldailami, Soad K. Al Jaouni
Plant Soil Environ., 2025, 71(8):534-552 | DOI: 10.17221/239/2025-PSE
This study investigated how wheat (C3) and maize (C4) respond to soil thallium (Tl) contamination and elevated CO2 (eCO2), aiming to understand strategies for mitigating oxidative stress. Under eCO2, both crops showed higher biomass production. However, high Tl concentration (120 mg/kg) significantly decreased fresh and dry weights by 31–59%, which translated directly to compromised yield. This growth decline is linked to impaired photosynthesis, evidenced by a 54–57% drop in net photosynthetic rate under elevated Tl. Such photosynthetic inhibition intensifies oxidative stress, marked by increased membrane...
Nano-silica modulates salt stress response in lettuce by enhancing growth, antioxidant activity, and mineral uptakeOriginal Paper
Ozlem Cakmakci, Suat Sensoy
Plant Soil Environ., 2025, 71(8):553-564 | DOI: 10.17221/233/2025-PSE
Salt stress is a significant abiotic factor that limits crop growth and yield. Nano-fertilisers, effective even in small quantities, have gained prominence for their ability to enhance plant growth and stress tolerance. This study investigated the effects of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) at different concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg/L solution) under varying saline water application levels (0.6, 1.2, 2.4, and 3.6 dS/m) on growth parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, and nutrient uptake in lettuce. The greenhouse experiment followed a randomised complete block design with three replications. Results demonstrated that SiNPs effectively increased...
The changes in growth, yield, and biologically active compounds of essential oil in Trachyspermum ammi L. upon rhizobacteria and seaweed applicationsOriginal Paper
Aya H. El-Nagar, Kholoud Z. Ghanem, Fahmy A.S. Hassan, Mohammed I. Fetouh, Rasha S. El-Serafy, Mohamed M. Moussa
Plant Soil Environ., 2025, 71(8):565-580 | DOI: 10.17221/266/2025-PSE
Using biostimulants to enhance plant growth and increase yield and secondary metabolites in medicinal and aromatic plants is an important strategy to achieve sustainable agriculture. The influence of two strains of nitrogen-fixing rhizobacteria (NFB) of Azotobacter chroococcum (NFB1) and Azospirillum lipoferum (NFB2), three levels of seaweed extract (SWE; 0 (SWE1), 250 (SWE1), and 500 mg/L (SWE2)) and their interactions have been investigated on Trachyspermum ammi L. (ajwain) growth, fruit yield, and essential oil constituents for two winter seasons. Growth traits (plant height, number of branches, and fresh and dry weights) and...
Combined application of biochar and phosphorus influenced maize production and soil properties in the Yellow River Delta: a comparison between contrasting weather conditionsOriginal Paper
Xiaoqi Tang, Chunming Jiang, Hongjie Li, Jing Tian, Dawei Li, Xuan Zhang, Xiuli Ge, Xia Liu, Wenjun Gao, Guoli Liu, Wenjuan Li
Plant Soil Environ., 2025, 71(8):581-594 | DOI: 10.17221/268/2025-PSE
The Yellow River Delta, an important area of reserved arable land resources in China, is faced with the problem of crop productivity being typically limited by low soil quality. Developing techniques that raised crop yield without environmental damage was critically needed. To date, the knowledge about the joint impacts of biochar (C) and phosphorus (P) addition on soil properties and maize production under different weather conditions in this area is seriously lacking. Consequently, a full factorial field experiment including three biochar intensities (0 (C0), 5 000 (C1), and 10 000 (C2) kg/ha), three phosphorus fertilisation levels (0 (P0), 60 (P1),...