Alfalfa and barley association promote the ability of plant growth-promoting microbes to mitigate drought and salt stresses.

ABSTRACT: The advantages of crop association, or intercropping, include reducing disease cycles, suppressing weeds, and enhancing nutrient transfer between crops, both above and below-ground, are well-studied. However, the potential of associated crops to alter their physiology through interactions with rhizosphere microbes, which could mitigate drought and salt stresses, is underexplored. We investigated the impact of combining alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) with or without plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPM) and compost on growth, physiology, stress markers, osmolytes, and antioxidant enzymes under drought and salt stress. Alfalfa and barley seedlings were grown either as sole crop or in combination, and treated with one of the biological options, including

SUBMITTER: Slimani A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12559892 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature