Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Associate prof., Water Engineering department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad kavous, Iran.
2
Associate prof., Plant Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad kavous, Iran.
3
Associate prof., Water Engineering department, Faculty of Water and Soil Engineering, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran
4
BSc Student, Water Engineering department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad kavous, Iran.
Abstract
To investigate the effect of zeolite on improving the drought tolerance of radish (Raphanus sativus L.), a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications, at the research greenhouse of Gonbad Kavous University (Iran) in 2024. Experimental factors included drought stress at three levels of irrigation after 20%, 40%, and 60% of allowable moisture depletion, and zeolite at four levels of 0, 3%, 6%, and 9%. The analysis of variance showed that the effect of zeolite on fresh, and dry weight of root, fresh, and dry weight of shoot, and total plant fresh and dry weight was significant at the 1% probability level. Drought stress had a highly significant effect (p < 0.01) on root fresh weight, shoot fresh and dry weight, and total plant fresh and dry weight, and a significant effect (p < 0.05) on root dry weight. Mean comparison results indicated that zeolite application increased root, shoot, and total plant fresh and dry weights. Accordingly, the greatest fresh and dry weights of the root, shoot, and whole plant—measured at 13, 4.2, 11.6, 2.5, 24.6, and 4.9 g, respectively—were observed in the treatment receiving 9% zeolite. However, the lowest values belonged to the control (no zeolite). With increasing drought intensity from 20% to 60% allowable moisture depletion, the fresh and dry weights of root, shoot, and total plant decreased by 17.17%, 12%, 16.9%, 12%, 17.0%, and 14.1%, respectively. Despite the reduction in fresh and dry biomass caused by soil moisture deficit, the application of zeolite significantly enhanced the drought tolerance of radish plants.
Keywords
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