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A two-year experiment (2018 and 2019) was conducted to investigate the conjoint effect of applying rice straw as a soil mulch and treating snake cucumber (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus) plants by potassium silicate solution (4 mM) either by soaking seeds or by foliar applications for different periods, on soil fertility, vegetative growth and yield traits, antioxidant activities in plant, nutrient uptake, and total yield under heat stress conditions. The experiment was conducted during summer season (the maximum weekly temperature ranged from 35.8 to 40.6°C) on a clay soil at Dokki field under greenhouse conditions, Giza governorate, Egypt. The treatment of T5 (soaking seeds for 24 h in potassium silicate solution) combined with covering soil with rice straw gave superior effects on enhancing soil fertility and nutrient uptake, increasing chlorophyll content, increasing antioxidant enzymes activity, decreasing proline and other free amino acids (FAA), total soluble salts (TSS), and vitamin C content, and these were probably the reasons that increased the plant tolerance to face the stress. Total yield increased by 13.4 and 8.19% under rice straw soil cover. Also, its highest values were achieved by the treatment of T5 (173 and 200%), during the two tested seasons, respectively. Results of this study suggest that the conjoint effect of using rice straw as a soil cover and treating plants with potassium silicate solution (4 mM) by soaking their seeds for 24 h is beneficial for improving soil fertility, nutrient uptake as well as for crop production under heat stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar has not been adequately used by farmers to improve the clay textured soil productivities in the world. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the co-application of biochar with different rates of phosphorus (P) fertilizer on selected soil physical properties and wheat yield on clay textured soil over two growth seasons. Biochar treatments occupied the main plots at a rate of 0.0 and 10 t ha−1, while the sub-plots were devoted to phosphorus rates at rates of 0%, 50%, 100%, and 150% of recommended P fertilizers. Biochar (10 t ha−1) and P at different rates decreased soil bulk density significantly. Meanwhile, it increased aggregate stability, saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil water retention significantly at (p <.05), and it improved the grain yield of wheat. More grain yields in the soil treated with biochar than untreated soil under all P application rates for both years were probably caused partially by more nutrients (N, P, and K) were applied from biochar itself. Grain yield of wheat in the soil-amended biochar and P did not increase significantly between the application at 50%, 100% and 150% P. The results of this study indicate that phosphorus blends with biochar can be used to decrease the bulk density of clay textured soils and to improve crop production in these soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]