Effects of compost and biochar on barley’s growth and response to drought stress: insights into osmoprotectants, antioxidant activity, and gene expression
- Ghouili, E. , Muhovski, Y. , Hogue, R. , Ouertani, R. , Abdelkarim, S. , Li, Z. , Souissi, F. , Jebara, S. , Jebara, M. & Abid, G. (2025). Effects of compost and biochar on barley’s growth and response to drought stress: insights into osmoprotectants, antioxidant activity, and gene expression. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, accepted:
| Type | Journal Article |
| Year | 2025 |
| Title | Effects of compost and biochar on barley’s growth and response to drought stress: insights into osmoprotectants, antioxidant activity, and gene expression |
| Journal | Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition |
| Label | U1-Muhovski |
| Volume | accepted |
| Date | 08 August 2025 |
| Abstract | This study aimed to evaluate the effects of compost and biochar, either individually or in combination, on the morphophysiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of barley plants under drought stress conditions. Overall, the application of amendments, whether separately or combined, alleviated the negative effects of drought on agronomic parameters and reduced the antioxidant activity of SOD, APX, and GPOX, except for CAT. The combined application of compost and biochar increased proline and MDA concentrations while decreasing soluble sugar levels. Furthermore, the application of amendments, either individually or in combination, reduced the expression of stress-related genes compared to drought stress alone. Interestingly, the combined application of biochar and compost often resulted in a more moderate response than when applied separately, suggesting a synergistic effect that further alleviates the impact of drought stress. These findings suggest that organic amendments such as biochar and compost could serve as an effective strategy to enhance plant tolerance to drought stress while minimizing the metabolic costs associated with excessive activation of defense mechanisms. |
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| Authors | Ghouili, E., Muhovski, Y., Hogue, R., Ouertani, R., Abdelkarim, S., Li, Z., Souissi, F., Jebara, S., Jebara, M., Abid, G. |
