Vol. 40 No. 1 (2026): AHS 150 years
Articles

Exogenous application of humic acid or chitosan mitigates drought stress on Paspalum vaginatum turfgrass

pdf
  • W.R.A. Sakr,
  • H.A. Ashour,
  • M.A. Abdelgawaad
W.R.A. Sakr
Department of Ornamental Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
H.A. Ashour
Department of Ornamental Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
M.A. Abdelgawaad
Deparment of Ornamental Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-18148
Categories

Published 2026-04-07

Keywords

  • Bio-stimulators,
  • Seashore paspalum,
  • water deficient stress

How to Cite

Sakr, W., Ashour, H. A., & Abdelgawaad, M. (2026). Exogenous application of humic acid or chitosan mitigates drought stress on Paspalum vaginatum turfgrass. Advances in Horticultural Science, 40(1), 99–110. https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-18148

Copyright (c) 2025 Hossam Ahmed Ashour

Creative Commons License

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

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

Abstract

The current study was carried out to examine the impact of humic acid or chitosan applications on morphology and physiology attributes of Paspalum vaginatum Swartz. cv. Salam grown under drought stress. Drought stress was enforced by various watering intervals (2, 5, 8 and 11). The plants subjected to various watering intervals were sprayed biweekly with either humic acid (HA) or chitosan (CHT) each at concentrations of 300 and 600 ppm, whereas the tap water was used as control. The findings indicated that drought stress decreased all growth traits (such as, sward height, lawn density and dry weights of clippings and underground parts), total chlorophylls, total carbohydrates, N, P and K%, while proline, phenols content and Enzyme activity (CAT, APX and SOD) were raised. The plants foliar sprayed with HA or CHT at higher doses led to boost in the tested growth traits, total chlorophylls, total carbohydrates, N, P and K%, proline, phenols and enzyme activity with superiority of HA. Based on the outcome of the present research it can be inferred that, foliar application of HA at 600 ppm can ameliorates the harmful impacts of drought stress on physiology and growth traits of Paspalum vaginatum.

pdf

References

  1. AALIPOUR H., NIKBAKHT A., GHASEMI M., AMIRI R., 2019 - Morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of two turfgrass species to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and humic acid under water stress condition. - J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr., 20: 566-576.
  2. ABD-EL-HADY W.M.F., 2020 - Response of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) plants to chitosan and seaweed foliar application. - Sci. J. Flowers Ornam. Plants, 7(2): 153-161.
  3. ABDOU M.A., EL-SAYED A.A., RAGAA A.T, TOLBA M.E., 2020 - Response of gazon grass plants to compost, humic acid and bio-fertilizer. - Minia J. Agric. Res. Dev., 40(2): 243-255.
  4. ABOU DAHAB T.A.M., ASHOUR H.A., SABER M.M.H., 2023 - Exogenous application of biostimulators alleviates water deficient stress on Azadirachta indica plants. - Adv. Hort. Sci., 37(2): 159-171.
  5. ALBERGARIA E.T., OLIVEIRA A.F.M., ALBUQUERQUE U.P., 2020 - The effect of water deficit stress on the composition of phenolic compounds in medicinal plants. - South Afr. J. Bot., 131: 12-17.
  6. ALMEIDA L.G., MAGALHÃES P.C., KARAM D., DA SILVA E M., ALVARENGA A.A., 2020 - Chitosan application in the induction of water deficit tolerance in maize plants. - Acta Scientiarum Agronomy, 63(11): 42-44.
  7. BACCARI S., ELLOUMI O., CHAARI-RKHIS A., FENOLLOSA E., MORALES M., DRIRA N., BEN ABDALLAH F., FKI L., MUNNÉ-BOSCH S., 2020 - Linking leaf water potential, photosynthesis and chlorophyll loss with mechanisms of photo and antioxidant protection in juvenile olive trees subjected to severe drought. - Front. Plant Sci., 11: 614144.
  8. BADRAN F.S., AHMED E.T., MOHAMED N.H.I., HASSAN A.A., 2023 - Partial replacement of mineral NPK fertilizers using some environmentally friendly substances and their effects on bermuda grass growth. - Scientific J. Flowers Ornam. Plants, 10(1): 27-41.
  9. BAKRY B., TAHA M., ABDELGAWAD Z., ABDALLAH M., 2014 - The role of humic acid and proline on growth, chemical constituents and yield quantity and quality of three flax cultivars grown under saline soil conditions. - Agric. Sci., 5: 1566-1575.
  10. BANDURSKA H., JOZWIAK. W., 2010 - A comparison of the effects of drought on proline accumulation and peroxidases activity in leaves of Festuca rubra L. and Lolium perenne L. - Acta Soc. Bot. Pol., 79: 111-116.
  11. BARSOOM M.A., MOHAMED Z.B., ABDUL-MONEEM N.E, 2024 - Response of seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz.) lawn to different NPK fertilization treatments and planting density at new valley region under sprinkler system. - Sci. J. Flowers Ornam. Plants, 11(2): 55-65.
  12. BATES L.S., WALDERN R.P., TEARE L.D., 1973 - Rapid determination of free proline under water stress studies. - Plant and Soil, 39: 205-207.
  13. BIAN S., JIANG Y., 2009 - Reactive oxygen species, antioxidant enzyme activities and gene expression patterns in leaves and roots of Kentucky bluegrass in response to drought stress and recovery. - Sci. Hortic., 120(2): 264-270.
  14. BYCZYŃSKA A., 2018 - Chitosan improves growth and bulb yield of pineapple lily (Eucomis bicolor Baker) an ornamental and medicinal plant. - World Sci. News, 110: 159-171.
  15. CHAI Q., JIN F., MEREWITZ E., HUNG, B., 2010 - Growth and physiological traits associated with drought survival and post-drought recovery in perennial turfgrass species. - J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci., 135(2): 125-133.
  16. CHEN Q., ZHAOMING Q., MA G., WANG W., DAI J., ZHANG M., WEI Z., LIU Z., 2022 - Humic acid modulates growth, photosynthesis, hormone and osmolytes system of maize under drought conditions. - Agricultural Water Manage., 26: 107447.
  17. CHENG B., ZHOU Q., LI L., HASSAN M.J., ZENG W., PENG Y., LI Z., 2024 - Foliar application of chitosan (CTS), γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), or sodium chloride (NaCl) mitigates summer bentgrass decline in the subtropical zone. - Plants, 13: 1773.
  18. CUI J., SHAH S., FAHAD S., CHEN, Y., 2020 - A review on Kentucky bluegrass responses and tolerance to drought stress. - Abiotic Stress Plants, 1: 1-10
  19. DERNOEDEN P.H., 1984 - Four-year response of a Kentucky bluegrass-red fescue turf to plant growth retardants. - Agron. J., 76(5): 807-813.
  20. DUBOIS M., SMITH F., GILLES K.A., HAMILTON J.K., REBERS P.A., 1956 - Colorimetric method for determination of sugar and related substances. - Anal. Chem., 28(3): 350-356.
  21. DZUNG N.A., KHANH V.T.P., DZUNG T.T., 2011 - Research on impact of chitosan oligomers on biophysical characteristics, growth, development and drought resistance of coffee. - Carbohydrate Polymers, 84: 751-755.
  22. EL-DAMARAWY Y.A., EL-AZAB M.E., ESSA E.M., ABOUD F.S., ABDELAAL H.K., 2025 - Enhancing potato productivity and nutritional status under drought stress: The role of humic acid in climate-resilient agriculture. - Egypt. J. Agron., 47(2): 225-234.
  23. EL-SAYED B.A., SHAHIN S.M., NOOR EL-DEEN T.M., EL-ASHWAH M.A., 2016 - Response of seashore paspalum turfgrass to irrigation periods and humic acid. Scientific J. Flowers Ornam. Plants, 3(1): 71-78.
  24. EL-SAYED B.A., SHAHIN S.M., NOOR EL-DEEN T.M., EL-FADALY H.G.H., 2017 - The role of humic and amino acids in improving growth and quality of paspalum turf. - Scientific J. Flowers Ornam. Plants, 4(1): 7-14.
  25. ERRICKSON W., ZHANG N., HUANG B., 2023 - Promotive effects of endophytic rhizobacteria on tiller and root growth in creeping bentgrass during drought stress and post-stress recovery involving regulation of hormone and sugar metabolism. - Crop Science, 63:2583–2593.
  26. ESTEFAN G., SOMMER R., RYAN J., 2013 - Methods of soil, plant, and water analysis: A manual for the West Asia and North Africa region. Third edition. ICARDA, Beirut, Lebanon, pp. 243.
  27. FARIASZEWSKA A., APER, J., VAN HUYLENBROECK J. , DE SWAEF T. , BAERT J. , PECIO T., 2020 - Physiological and biochemical responses of forage grass varieties to mild drought stress under field conditions. - Int. J. Plant Prod., 14: 335-353.
  28. FILIPOVIĆ A., 2021 - Water plant and soil relation under stress situations, pp. 1-36. - In: MEENA R.S. and DATTA R. (eds.) Soil moisture importance. - IntechOpen, London, UK, pp. 154.
  29. GHOLAMIAN J.Z., ETEMADI N., AALIPOUR H., 2019 - The physiological responses of four turfgrass species to drought stress. - Adv. Hort. Sci., 33(3): 381-390.
  30. HAIDA Z., HAKIMAN M., 2019 - A comprehensive review on the determination of enzymatic assay and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities. - Food Sci. Nutr., 7(5): 1555-1563.
  31. HAYAT S., HAYAT Q., ALYEMENI M.N., WANI A.S., PICHTEL J., AHMAD A., 2012 - Role of proline under changing environments. A review. - Plant Signal Behav., 7(11): 1456-1466.
  32. HEJL R.W., CONLEY M.M., SERBA D.D., WILLIAMS C.F., 2024 - Mowing height effects on ‘TifTuf’ Bermudagrass during deficit irrigation. - Agronomy, 14: 628.
  33. HIDANGMAYUM A., DWIVEDI P., KATIYAR D., HEMANTARANJAN A., 2019 - Application of chitosan on plant responses with special reference to abiotic stress. - Physiol. Mol. Biol. Plants, 25: 313-326.
  34. HUSSEIN M.M.M., MANSOUR H.A., ASHOUR H.A., 2012 - Response of Paspalum vaginatum turfgrass grown under shade conditions to paclobutrazol and trinexapac-ethyl as plant growth retardants (PGRs). - J. Hortic. Sci. Ornam. Plants, 4 (2): 134-147.
  35. KATUWAL K.B., TISHCHENKO V., JESPERSEN D., 2021 - Assessing drought resistance in seashore paspalum genotypes using leaf gas exchange, osmotic adjustment, and rooting characteristics. -Crop Science. 61: 2121-2134.
  36. KATUWAL K.B., XIAO B., JESPERSEN D., 2020 - Root physiological and biochemical responses of seashore paspalum and centipedegrass exposed to iso-osmotic salt and drought stresses. - Crop Sci., 60: 1077-1089.
  37. LAXA M., LIEBTHAL M., TELMAN W., CHIBANI K., DIETZ K.J., 2019 - The role of the plant antioxidant system in drought tolerance. - Antioxidants (Basel), 8(4): 94.
  38. LI Q., LI R., HE F., YANG Z., YU J., 2022 - Growth and physiological effects of chitosan on heat tolerance in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera). - Grass Research, 2: 6.
  39. LICHTENTHALER H.K., BUSCHMANN C., 2005 - Chlorophylls and carotenoids: Measurement and characterization by UV-VIS spectroscopy. - Handb Food Anal Chem., 2(2): 171-178.
  40. LIU Z., LIU T., LIANG L., LI Z., HASSAN M.J., PENG Y., WANG D., 2020 - Enhanced photosynthesis, carbohydrates, and energy metabolism associated with chitosan-induced drought tolerance in creeping bentgrass. - Crop Sci., 60: 1064-1076.
  41. MARIMUTHU G., MURALI P.V., 2018 - Effect of drought stress in Paspalum Scrobiculatum L. biochemical and compatible solute accumulation. - Int. J. Sci. Res. Sci. Technol., 4(2): 618-622.
  42. OZFIDAN-KONAKCI C., YILDIZTUGAY E., BAHTIYAR M., KUCUKODUK M., 2018 - The humic acid-induced changes in the water status, chlorophyll fluorescence and antioxidant defense systems of wheat leaves with cadmium stress. - Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf., 155: 66-75.
  43. PIRBALOUTI A.G., MALEKPOOR F., SALIMI A., GOLPARVAR A., 2017 - Exogenous application of chitosan on biochemicaland physiological characteristics, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of two species of basil (Ocimum ciliatum and Ocimum basilicum) under reduced irrigation. - Sci. Hortic., 217: 114-122.
  44. PORCELLI C.A., RUBIO GUTIÉRREZ BOEM G.F.H., LAVADO R.S., 2024 - The effect of water and salt stress on Paspalum dilatatum, a constituent of pampas natural grasslands. - Phyton. Inter. J. Exp. Bot., 93(8): 210-217.
  45. ROUPHAEL Y., CARDARELLI M., SCHWARZ D., FRANKEN P., COLLA G., 2012 - Effects of drought on nutrient uptake and assimilation in vegetable crops, pp. 171-195. - In: AROCA R. (ed.) Plant responses to drought Stress. Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany, pp. 466.
  46. SALEHI M., SALEHI H., NIAZI A., GHOBADI C., 2014 - Convergence of goals: Phylogenetical, morphological, and physiological characterization of tolerance to drought stress in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). - Mol. Biotechnol., 56(3): 248-257.
  47. SELIM H.H.A., FAYEK M.A., SWEIDAN A.M., 1978 - Reproduction of Bricher apple cultivar by layering. - Annals Agric. Sci., Moshtohor, 9: 157-166.
  48. SHAABANI M., IRITI M., MORTAZAVI S.N., AMIRMOHAMMADI F.Z., ZAMANIAN K., 2022 - The effects of two organic fertilizers on morpho-physiological traits of Marigold (Calendula officinalis L.). - South African J. Bot., 148: 330-335.
  49. SHAFIEI-MASOULEH S.S., 2019 - Increased assimilates in lily yearling bulblets by fertilizer supplement of magnetic nano-composite. - Ornam. Hortic., 25(3): 247-254.
  50. SHAHIDI R., YOSHIDA J., COUGNON M., REHEUL D., VAN LABEKE M.C., 2017 - Morpho-physiological responses to dehydration stress of perennial ryegrass and tall fescue genotypes. - Functional Plant Biol., 44(6): 612-623.
  51. SHAHIN S.M., EL-SAYED B.A., NOOR EL-DEEN T.M., SAID R.M., 2015 - Response of seashore paspalum turf to some fertilization treatments. - Scientific J. Flowers Ornamental Plants, 2(1): 117-126.
  52. SHARAF EL-DIN M.N., ABDALLA M.Y.A., HEGAZY A.A., ELSHEIKHALI M.M., 2017 - Growth and development of seashore paspalum grass as affected by different culture media and irrigation levels. - J. Plant Production, Mansoura Univ., 8(3): 417-423.
  53. SHEIKH MOHAMMADI M.H., ETEMADI N., ARAB M.M., AALIFAR M., ARAB M., PESSARAKLI M., 2017 - Molecular and physiological responses of Iranian Perennial ryegrass as affected by Trinexapac ethyl, Paclobutrazol and Abscisic acid under drought stress. - Plant Physiol. Biochem., 111: 129-143.
  54. SHEN S., JINGJIN Y.U., ZHANG Z., YANG Z., 2024 - Biochar amendment improves water-fertilizer productivity of perennial ryegrass under different irrigation and fertilization regimes. - Grass Res., 4: e005.
  55. SNEDECOR G.W., COCHRAN W.G., 1989 - Statistical methods. 8 edition. - Iowa State University Press, Ames, USA, pp. 503.
  56. TAHER D., NOFAL E., HEGAZI M., EL-GAIED M.A., EL-RAMADY H., SOLBERG S.Q., 2023 - Response of warm season turf grasses to combined cold and salinity stress under foliar applying organic and inorganic amendments. - Horticulturae, 9: 49.
  57. TALEB M.H., MAJIDI M.M., PIRNAJMEDIN F., MAIBODY S.A.M.M., 2023 - Plant functional trait responses to cope with drought in seven cool‑season grass. - Scientific Reports, 13(1): 52-85.
  58. WANG J., BURGESS P., BONOS S.A., MEYERW A., HUANG B., 2017 - Differential physiological responses and genetic variations in fine fescue species for heat and drought stress. - J. Am. Soc. Horti. Sci, 142(5): 367-375.
  59. ZHAO J., PAN L., ZHOU M., YANG Z., MENG Y., ZHANG X., 2019 - Comparative physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal mechanisms of improved osmotic stress tolerance in annual ryegrass by exogenous chitosan. - Genes (Basel), 10(11): 853.