Effect of Soil Amendments and Spraying with Antioxidants on Some Clay Soil Properties and Wheat Production under Climate Change Conditions

Abstract

Climate change is anticipated to a vigorous impact on soils and ecosystems due to elevated temperature and changes in precipitation lead to reduce in wheat yield. Thus, afield experiment was performed throughout two seasons 2021 and 2022 at Agricultural Research Station farm, Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt (30o 56 N latitude and 31o 05 E longitude) to investigate the effect of compost and biochar in the main plots in addition, applied of salicylic acid, potassium silicate and seaweed extract as plant spraying in the subplots on improving some physio-chemical properties of the clay soil, some biochemical constituents and productivity of wheat plants under climate change. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot design with three replicates. Data indicated that applying compost treatment appears to be more successful in reducing pH and bulk density of soil than biochar. Application of biochar treatment reduced electrical conductivity meanwhile, compost increased it. Hydraulic conductivity, total porosity, organic matter content, moisture constants of soil,  cation exchange capacity were increased by applying all tested soil amendments in two seasons. All Soil amendments caused a marked improve in soil available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content. Meanwhile, compost treatment was the best one in increasing available nitrogen and potassium content. Compost application with all foliar spray had given a first order while foliar application under biochar addition had the second one. Data investigated that potassium silicate treatment increased grain & straw yield, harvest index, yield efficiency, 1000 grain weight, carbohydrates and protein. It is clearly observed that compost with potassium silicate treatment was superior to biochar with all foliar treatments of increasing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentration of grain and straw yields and its uptakes.