Biometric Parameters of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Vitroplants and Soil Properties Evolved with Biostimulants after Five Years of Field Drought

• Published in: Journal of soil science and plant nutrition Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 4004 - 4023
• Main Authors: Akensous, Fatima-Zahra, Anli, Mohamed, Sbbar, Naira, Aouabe, Abdelhamid, Meddich, Abdelilah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agriculture; Arbuscular mycorrhizas; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biometrics; Carbohydrates; Case studies; Climate change; Drought; Ecology; Efficiency; Environment; Flowers & plants; Food security; Global warming; Horticulture; Hydrology; Irrigation; Life Sciences; Organic carbon; Original Paper; Parameters; Phoenix dactylifera; Photosystem II; Physiology; Plant growth; Plant Sciences; Plants (botany); Population growth; Precipitation; Soil properties; Soil Science & Conservation; Stomata; Stomatal conductance; Water stress; Morocco; Biometric; Field; Date palm vitroplants; Biostimulants; Prolonged water stress; Soil; Stomata
• ISSN: 0718-9508; 0718-9516
• DOI: 10.1007/s42729-025-02380-5

Prolonged recurrent episodes of drought are steadily becoming the norm amidst climate crisis phenomena such as global warming. Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.), relevant to food security programs, continues to underperform under droughted-environing conditions. Biostimulants, namely arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (B), and compost (C) are widely reported for their beneficial effects on crops under water stress. Therefore, the present case study evaluated the effects of AMF and/or B and/or C on biometric parameters of date palm vitroplants and soil properties after five years of drought in the field. A droughted-field trial was installed and continued for 60 months, where 12-month-droughted date palm vitroplants, treated with the selected biostimulants, were transplanted from a greenhouse environment, and optimally (well-irrigated (WW), 1,536 mm) and deficiently (irrigation deficiency (WD), 768 mm) drip-irrigated thrice a week as the irrigation events. Parameters related to plant growth and physiology, as well as soil properties were assessed. AMF and/or B and/or C mostly positively impacted the assessed biometric date palm vitroplants’ attributes as well as soil properties. Interestingly, AMF + C + B performed the best under WD, compared to control treatments, with shoot height (SH) improved by 17.40%, leaf number (LN) increased by 74.07%, and leaflet number (LFLT N) elevated by 39.51%. Physiologically, stomatal conductance (gs) was enhanced by 64.56% and quantum yield of photosystem II (F v /F m ) was increased by 7.05%. At the level of the soil, available phosphorus (AP) was notably increased by 58.52% with AMF + C. Besides, the organic carbon and matter pool was improved with C combined with AMF and/or B under WD. The present case study provides initial insights into the promising potential of the tested biostimulants on date palm vitroplants and the soil subject to 60 months of prolonged drought under semi-arid conditions. The obtained results, thus, serve as an encouraging preliminary basis for further investigation. Graphical Abstract Graphical abstract depicting the most important recorded and implied effects resulting from the application of AMF and/or B and/or Compost versus water stress in regard to the experiment on date palm vitroplants, an experiment that was first conducted under greenhouse-droughted conditions for 12 months, next transferred to the field for an 18-month period of water stress, then followed on under field for as long as 60 month-droughted conditions, pointing possible long-term complementarity and synergistic effects of the applied biostimulants, in association with the surface drip irrigation technique. AMF, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi; B, Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria; +++, Amelioration