Hydrochar from garden waste enhances drought tolerance in sunflower via soil-plant-gene interactions

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Hydrochar derived from garden waste has emerged as a promising soil amendment for enhancing drought tolerance in sunflower through integrated soil–plant–gene interactions. When applied to soil, hydrochar improves soil structure, porosity, and water-holding capacity, enabling better moisture retention under water-limited conditions. This enhanced soil environment promotes deeper root growth and improved nutrient availability, particularly of potassium and micronutrients essential for osmotic regulation. At the plant level, sunflower exhibits improved physiological responses, including higher relative water content, sustained photosynthetic activity, and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, which together reduce oxidative stress during drought. At the molecular level, hydrochar-mediated improvements in soil conditions trigger the upregulation of drought-responsive genes associated with water transport (aquaporins), stress signaling, and abscisic acid pathways, strengthening the plant’s adaptive mechanisms. Overall, the use of garden-waste-derived hydrochar represents a sustainable, circular-economy approach to improving sunflower resilience to drought while enhancing soil health and supporting climate-smart agriculture.

#Hydrochar #GardenWaste #DroughtTolerance #Sunflower #SoilPlantInteractions #GeneExpression #SoilHealth #WaterUseEfficiency #ClimateSmartAgriculture #SustainableSoils





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