The efficiency of chlorophyll fluorescence as a selection criterion for salinity and climate aridity tolerance in barley genotypes.

Introduction: In the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, crop production is being affected by various abiotic factors, including freshwater scarcity, climate, and soil salinity. As a result, farmers in this region are in search of salt-tolerant crops that can thrive in these harsh environments, using poor-quality groundwater. The main staple food crop for most of the countries in this region, Tunisia included, is barley. Methods: The present study was designed to investigate the sensitivity and tolerance of six distinct barley genotypes to aridity and salinity stresses in five different natural field environments by measuring their photosynthetic activity. Results and discussion: The results revealed that tolerant genotypes were significantly less affected by these stress factors than sensitive genotypes. The genotypes that were more susceptible to salinity and aridity stress exhibited a significant decline in their photosynthetic activity. Additionally, the fluorescence yields in growth phases J, I, and P declined significantly in the order of humid environment (BEJ), semi-arid site (KAI), and arid environment (MED) and became more significant when salt stress was added through the use of saline water for irrigation. The stress adversely affected the quantum yield of primary photochemistry (φP0), the quantum yield of electron transport (φE0), and the efficiency by trapped excitation (ψ0) in the vulnerable barley genotypes. Moreover, the performance index (PI) of the photosystem II (PSII) was found to be the most distinguishing parameter among the genotypes tested. The PI of sensitive genotypes was adversely affected by aridity and salinity. The PI of ICARDA20 and Konouz decreased by approximately 18% and 33%, respectively, when irrigated with non-saline water. The reduction was even greater, reaching 39%, for both genotypes when irrigated with saline water. However, tolerant genotypes Souihli and Batini 100/1B were less impacted by these stress factors.The fluorescence study provided insights into the photosynthetic apparatus of barley genotypes under stress. It enabled reliable salinity tolerance screening. Furthermore, the study confirmed that the chlorophyll a fluorescence induction curve had an inflection point (step K) even before the onset of visible signs of stress, indicating physiological disturbances, making chlorophyll fluorescence an effective tool for identifying salinity tolerance in barley.

Optimizing tomato seedling growth with indigenous mangrove bacterial inoculants and reduced NPK fertilization.

The search for ecofriendly products to reduce crop dependence on synthetic chemical fertilizers presents a new challenge. The present study aims to isolate and select efficient native PGPB that can reduce reliance on synthetic NPK fertilizers. A total of 41 bacteria were isolated from the sediment and roots of mangrove trees (Avicennia marina) and assessed for their PGP traits under in vitro conditions. Of them, only two compatible strains of Bacillus species were selected to be used individually and in a mix to promote tomato seedling growth. The efficiency of three inoculants applied to the soil was assessed in a pot experiment at varying rates of synthetic NPK fertilization (0, 50, and 100% NPK). The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design with three replications. Results showed that the different inoculants significantly increased almost all the studied parameters. However, their effectiveness is strongly linked to the applied rate of synthetic fertilization. Applying bacterial inoculant with only 50% NPK significantly increased the plant height (44-51%), digital biomass (60-86%), leaf area (77-87%), greenness average (29-36%), normalized difference vegetation index (29%), shoot dry weight (82-92%) and root dry weight (160-205%) compared to control plants. Concerning the photosynthetic activity, this treatment showed a positive impact on the concentrations of chlorophyll a (25-31%), chlorophyll b (34-39%), and carotenoid (45-49%). Interestingly, these increases ensured the highest values significantly similar to or higher than those of control plants given 100% NPK. Furthermore, the highest accumulation of N, P, K, Cu, Fe, Zn, and Ca in tomato shoots was recorded in plants inoculated with the bacterial mix at 50% NPK. It was proven for the first time that the native PGP bacteria derived from mangrove plant species A. marina positively affects the quality of tomato seedlings while reducing 50% NPK.

Genetic diversity of rhizobia associated with root nodules of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) in Tunisian calcareous soils.

With a view to introducing white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) for cultivation in Tunisian calcareous soils, compatible indigenous rhizobia for nitrogen-fixing symbiosis were investigated and characterized. Two L. albus varieties, Mekna and Lumen, were used to trap rhizobia in soil samples collected from 56 sites with high active lime contents (0-49%). Nodulation occurred in only 15 soils. The local variety, Mekna, developed significantly more root nodules and had a trapping capacity in more soils than the imported variety Lumen. A phylogenetic analysis based on the partial 16S-23S ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) of three chromosomal housekeeping genes, recA, atpD and dnaK, showed that strains were affiliated to Agrobacterium, Rhizobium, and Neorhizobium, with large internal diversity, including separate lineages. Infectivity tests highlighted some nodulation specificity at the plant variety level, since the strains originating from Mekna could only nodulate this variety, while strains trapped in Lumen could nodulate both varieties. When inoculated, almost all strains resulted in a significant increase in plant shoot dry weight on L. albus. Although Agrobacterium sp. strains isolated from L. albus could nodulate and had a plant growth promoting effect, no nodA and nodC genes could be amplified. This is discussed together with the absence of bradyrhizobia and the general infrequency of L. albus-nodulating rhizobia in Tunisian soils. The adapted and efficient rhizobial strains reported here were promising candidates for inoculant development and represent a contribution towards successful cultivation of L. albus in Tunisia, especially the most promising Mekna variety.