Advantageous effects of bentonite on the growth attributes and metabolic compounds of two mesophytic plants growing in desert sandy soils

Advantageous effects of bentonite on the growth attributes and metabolic compounds of two mesophytic plants growing in desert sandy soils | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Advantageous effects of bentonite on the growth attributes and metabolic compounds of two mesophytic plants growing in desert sandy soils K. A. Farghali, Suzan A. Tammam This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7282402/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 19 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in BMC Plant Biology → Version 1 posted 14 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background The best use of sandy soil in hot arid and semi-arid lands for cultivation is the ability to improve its physical and chemical properties. Therefore, the application of eco-friendly and natural substances added to sandy soils has been proven to improve the water retention and nutrient deficiency, consequently the agricultural outputs. The aim of the present investigation is to study the advantageous effects of natural substances application such as bentonite (a Type of clay) to improve the quality of desert sandy soils and plant productivity. The effect of bentonite on the growth and metabolites attributes of two mesophytes (cultivate Zea mays and wild Senna occidentalis ) growing in three sandy soils were studied. Results The data obtained indicated that the morphological parameters such as length and fresh weight of shoot and root in S. occidentalis and Z. mays plants were positively affected by the soil texture, bentonite and or their interaction. In calcareous sandy soil, the water content of soil, shoot and root were tended to a maximum value with added certain concentration of bentonite. With fine sands, the total chlorophyll content in both plants was markedly increased with the application of bentonite, which had a dominant role. The same role of bentonite was an effect on the different metabolic compounds such as total soluble proteins, free amino acids and soluble sugars in organs of investigated plants. Fine sand exerted a high content of soluble proteins and soluble sugars, whereas the calcareous sandy soil accelerates the free amino acids in various plant organs. In general, bentonite had a major role in the osmo-metabolic compounds of both plant organs as well as on the soluble proteins of Senna occidentalis root.Significant correlations existed between the water content of soil and plant organs with morphological and metabolic compounds. Conclusion This investigation studies the advantageous effects of bentonite to improve the quality of desert sandy soil and plant productivity. Bentonite had a positive effect on the growth and metabolites of Zea mays and Senna occidentalis growing in three sandy soils. Also, bentonite affects the chlorophyll and different metabolic compounds (total soluble proteins, free amino acids and soluble sugars) in two plants. Bentonite desert sands Senna Zea growth metabolites Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 19 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in BMC Plant Biology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 08 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 07 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 07 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 25 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 19 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 14 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 14 Sep, 2025 Editor invited by journal 12 Sep, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 10 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 10 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7282402","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":517420303,"identity":"df873405-d0d6-4102-b41a-654fc1ba8932","order_by":0,"name":"K. A. 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Therefore, the application of eco-friendly and natural substances added to sandy soils has been proven to improve the water retention and nutrient deficiency, consequently the agricultural outputs. The aim of the present investigation is to study the advantageous effects of natural substances application such as bentonite (a Type of clay) to improve the quality of desert sandy soils and plant productivity. The effect of bentonite on the growth and metabolites attributes of two mesophytes (cultivate \u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e and wild \u003cem\u003eSenna\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eoccidentalis\u003c/em\u003e) growing in three sandy soils were studied.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults \u003c/strong\u003eThe data obtained indicated that the morphological parameters such as length and fresh weight of shoot and root in \u003cem\u003eS. occidentalis \u003c/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e Z. mays\u003c/em\u003eplants were positively affected by the soil texture, bentonite and or their interaction. In calcareous sandy soil, the water content of soil, shoot and root were tended to a maximum value with added certain concentration of bentonite. With fine sands, the total chlorophyll content in both plants was markedly increased with the application of bentonite, which had a dominant role. The same role of bentonite was an effect on the different metabolic compounds such as total soluble proteins, free amino acids and soluble sugars in organs of investigated plants. Fine sand exerted a high content of soluble proteins and soluble sugars, whereas the calcareous sandy soil accelerates the free amino acids in various plant organs. In general, bentonite had a major role in the osmo-metabolic compounds of both plant organs as well as on the soluble proteins of \u003cem\u003eSenna occidentalis \u003c/em\u003eroot.Significant correlations existed between the water content of soil and plant organs with morphological and metabolic compounds.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion\u003c/strong\u003e This investigation studies the advantageous effects of bentonite to improve the quality of desert sandy soil and plant productivity. Bentonite had a positive effect on the growth and metabolites of \u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSenna\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eoccidentalis\u003c/em\u003e growing in three sandy soils. Also, bentonite affects the chlorophyll and different metabolic compounds (total soluble proteins, free amino acids and soluble sugars) in two plants.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Advantageous effects of bentonite on the growth attributes and metabolic compounds of two mesophytic plants growing in desert sandy soils","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-22 07:17:05","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7282402/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-10-08T16:09:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-07T12:58:27+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-07T11:01:00+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"299734916278205192705206975087339955366","date":"2025-09-30T10:54:53+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-25T14:34:11+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"96748996839800322511310451570003090877","date":"2025-09-25T13:33:22+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-19T05:32:54+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"11242291878445093308773214511811574708","date":"2025-09-15T15:11:34+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"111489136295751650104841287060955994984","date":"2025-09-15T08:52:34+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-09-14T17:04:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-09-14T17:00:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-09-12T15:46:05+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-09-10T08:48:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Plant Biology","date":"2025-09-10T08:41:01+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-plant-biology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"pbio","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Plant Biology](http://bmcplantbiol.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/pbio/default.aspx","title":"BMC Plant Biology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"72ad9487-9005-4c10-83a8-8e823c754185","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 22nd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-22T16:02:21+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7282402","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-07834-7","journal":{"identity":"bmc-plant-biology","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Plant Biology"},"publishedOn":"2025-12-19 15:58:12","publishedOnDateReadable":"December 19th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-22 07:17:05","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s12870-025-07834-7","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-07834-7","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7282402","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7282402","identity":"rs-7282402","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}