Maydica, cilt.66, sa.1, ss.1-9, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
Salinity is one of the major constraints of crop production, especially in the world's arid and semi-arid regions. Variations
in the nutritional components of Gulseker sweet sorghum (local variety) and the effects of different organic
matter on morphological and physiological changes under salt stress were examined herein. The response of
sweet sorghum to applications of different organic matter [amino acid (AA), cow/farmyard manure (CM), biochar
(BC), humic acid (HA), sheep manure (SM), worm casting (WC), poultry manure (PM), and bat guano (BG)], as well
as water irrigation salinity at 150 mM NaCl were evaluated under greenhouse conditions using plastic pots containing
11 L of peat:perlite (2:1). Plants grown under different treatments were then classified as morphological
(shoot fresh and dry weights, shoot diameter, shoot length, number of leaves and leaf area per plant) and physiological
parameters (relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll (SPAD), malondialdehyde (MDA), Na+, K+, Ca++, and
Cl- ion content. The results revealed that salt stress caused reduced growth parameters and chlorophyll, RWC, K+
and Ca++ ion content, while MDA content, Na+ and Cl- accumulation showed an increase. The results showed that
the organic matter treatments diminished the damaging effects caused by salt stress via a reduction in the uptake
of Cl- and Na+, which enhanced K+ and Ca++ uptake and reduced the MDA levels, presenting a favorable effect in
reducing the oxidative stress that emerged from salt stress.