Mitigating water deficit stress in lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) through integrated soil amendments: A pathway to sustainable agriculture.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is a valuable medicinal plant, but its growth can be significantly impacted by drought stress. This study aimed to mitigate the adverse effects of water deficit stress on lemon balm biomass by integrating poultry manure compost, poultry manure biochar, NPK fertilizer, Trichoderma harzianum, Thiobacillus thioparus, and elemental sulfur as soil amendments.

Assessment of EDDS and vermicompost for the phytoextraction of Cd and Pb by sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

The effects of Ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) (0 and 5 mmol·kg) as a synthetic chemical amendment, vermicompost (0 and 5%w/w) as an organic amendment and their combined application were evaluated for the phytoextraction by sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) at three artificial contamination levels in soils (0, 50, and 100 mg·kg for Cd and 0, 100, and 200 mg·kg for Pb). The results showed that the application of EDDS was the most effective method to increase Pb and Cd concentrations in both parts of the plant.