The alleviation of climate change effects on the performance of some rice varieties by Zn, Ca, and B application under aerobic cultivation

Aerobic rice cultivation with nutrition balance is a resilient option to remediate the effects of climate change on rice productivity and cultivation. The field experiments were conducted during the 2021 and 2022 summer rice seasons, respectively, at the Research Farm of Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafr-el-Sheikh, Egypt. The study aimed to investigate the effect of foliar application using zinc, calcium, and boron on the productivity of anaerobic rice under climate change and its various effects. The experiment employed a strip plot design with four replications; genotypes were arranged on vertical plots, while the foliar applications were arranged horizontally. The results showed that there is a significant difference between the two examined types in terms of biochemical, physiological, crop physiological, yield characteristics, and grain yield. Giza 179 outperformed Sakha Super 300 on the previously described scales in aerobic conditions. The foliar spraying of studied micronutrients, either alone or in di- or tri-combinations, had a significant improvement in photosynthesis components, drought defense systems, including antioxidants and osmolytes, plant pigments, ion selectivity, yield attributes, and productivity compared with the control. The interaction effect was significant for most of the traits studied. This effect led to the effectiveness of the triple combination of zinc, calcium, and potassium with Giza 179, which enhanced and increased rice productivity, contributing to mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change.