Optimizing Maize Productivity in Salt-Affected Soils Using Magnesium, Wood Vinegar and Seaweed

The necessity for new, environmentally friendly agricultural strategies is critical for maximizing the production of strategic crops like maize, especially in light of challenges posed by degraded soils, such as salt-affected soils. Moreover, it is essential to focus on the role of often-overlooked elements in agricultural programs, such as magnesium, which plays a vital role in forming oil as a co-enzyme in oil crops and improving crop growth and quality. So, a field experiment was implemented to investigate the impacts of different treatments on maize grown on salt affected soil. The treatments of main factor included magnesium sulphate at rates of 0, 50 and 100 kg fed-1 , while the treatments of the sub-main factor included spraying bio stimulants [control (without foliar application), seaweed at two rates (7.5 and 15 g L-1) and wood vinegar at two rates (2 and 4 ml L-1)]. The results show that applying magnesium sulphate at rate of 50 and 100 kg fed-1 had a significant influence on promoting maize growth under salt-affected soil circumstances. There were significant increases in the protein, carbohydrate, oil and anthocyanin contents in the grains compared to control treatments. Generally, the maize plants sprayed with seaweed extract or wood vinegar possessed higher antioxidant activity, that helped mitigate the oxidative caused by salinity stress. Using these treatments also led to substantial improvements in the maize productivity and grain quality. Generally, these findings emphasize the importance of integrating elements such as Mg into agricultural programs, particularly when cultivating under degraded soil conditions. They also highlight the need to adopt new agricultural practices which improve the use of natural extracts, like seaweed and wood vinegar, to bolster crops' resilience in harsh environmental circumstances.