Novel insight into the role of date molasses in enhancing durum wheat tolerance to water stress

Authors

  • Samira SOUALEM Ibn khaldoun university, Tiaret, Algeria
  • Amina LABDELLI Scientific and Technical Research Center for Arid Areas, Biskra, Algeria.
  • Rabiaa KOUADRIA Laboratory of Vegetal Protection, Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University, Mostaganem, Algeria 6363
  • Khaldia MOSTEFAI Ibn Khaldoun University, Tiaret, Algeria
  • Mohamed Abdelaziz BOUBEKEUR Ibn Khaldoun University, Tiaret, Algeria
  • Kamel ZEMOUR Institute of nature and life sciences, Tissemsilt University, Algeria

Keywords:

Triticum durum, water deficit, organic amendment, antioxidant enzymes, semi-arid, root architecture.

Abstract

Purpose: Crop production is severely limited in dry and semi-arid environments due to poor soil fertility and water scarcity. In this context, the use of date molasses as an organic amendment may enhance agronomic productivity under such conditions. This study investigates the response of two durum wheat varieties, Ofanto and Bousselam, to application of date molasses under water deficit conditions.

Methods: Morphological traits and biochemical parameters of plant development were assessed under different treatments.

Results: Water stress significantly inhibited wheat growth by markedly reducing seminal root length, leaf area index (LAI), shoot and root dry biomass, and chlorophyll (a+b) content. Additionally, a decrease in adventitious root formation was observed. However, application of date molasses effectively maintained higher chlorophyll and soluble sugar contents, and enhanced activities of key antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT).

Conclusions: Date molasses application under water deficit conditions efficiently mitigated water stress effects in durum wheat. Our findings emphasize the potential of this organic amendment to reduce the negative impacts of abiotic stress on crop plants.

Downloads

Published

24-12-2025

How to Cite

SOUALEM, S., LABDELLI, A., KOUADRIA, R., MOSTEFAI, K., BOUBEKEUR, M. A., & ZEMOUR, K. (2025). Novel insight into the role of date molasses in enhancing durum wheat tolerance to water stress. PHYTON-ANNALES REI BOTANICAE, 65(2), 164–189. Retrieved from https://phyton-annales.com/index.php/p/article/view/117

Issue

Vol. 65 No. 2 (2025): issue

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 PHYTON-ANNALES REI BOTANICAE

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Readers may share and adapt the material for non-commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given and adaptations are shared under the same license.