Amany Salah Khalifa

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic metals accumulated in wheat grains. Daily intake of Cd through food is posing serious health problems. There is an urgent need to reduce the uptake and accumulation of Cd in wheat and other cereal crops. In this study, we investigated the potential of moringa leaf extract (MLE) in decreasing the Cd toxic effects in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. A.S. 2002. Sowing was carried out in pots under shade and natural light conditions. Two Cd concentrations (500 µM and 1000 µM) were applied with and without MLE (0 and 3%). Results revealed that plant growth parameters viz diameter of stem, number of leaves, leaf area, photosynthetic pigments were improved with MLE application under Cd stress. Moreover, biochemical attributes and osmolytes such as total soluble sugars, and soluble proteins, phenolic content and flavonoids were negatively effected by Cd stress and were improved under MLE treatment. Moreover, Cd stress enhanced phytotoxicity as higher ROS accumulation is observed under both stress conditions, whereas after MLE application MDA and H₂O₂ accumulation was significantly decreased. Based on current observations, MLE was effective in mitigating the biological and toxic effects of Cd by promoting the growth attributes and mineral contents in wheat. Further experiments are needed for discovering the molecular mechanisms underlying MLE and host plant interactions involved in Cd stress mitigation.

Composting is an ecological method of recycling organic waste. It presents an effective solution to reduce the large volume of agricultural waste and provides an organic fertilizer and soil amendment. However, its implementation remains limited, especially in Morocco. The vast majority of farmers are unaware of the effectiveness of compost, and it is often considered as an inefficient product compared with chemical fertilizers. In order to develop a local marketing strategy for compost, this study aims to identify the perceptions and willingness of farmers to produce and use compost in agriculture, and to assess the factors shaping these perceptions and willingness, including socio-economic, agricultural and individual factors. The case of Morocco is investigated, where the vast majority of farmers practice inappropriate disposal of agricultural waste and excessive use of agro-chemicals. Data are collected using a standard questionnaire and face-to-face interviews with 350 farmers during their visit to the international agricultural exhibition in Morocco. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) are used for data analysis. The results showed a high level (80%) of acceptance by farmers of the production and use of compost. Farmers are also very willing to produce and use compost in agriculture. All the socio-economic, individual and agricultural factors, except gender, length of experience and cultivated area, had a highly significant influence on farmers’ perception and willingness to produce compost (p < 0.005). The positive perceptions of farmers and the high level of willingness to produce compost imply that the composting of organic waste should be encouraged by our local authorities. The production of compost will thus contribute to environmental sustainability and to the promotion of the ecological management of agricultural waste meeting the requirements of a circular economy.

Nutraceutical industrial fenugreek seed spent (NIFGS), a relatively low-cost material abundantly available with little toxicity is used in crystal violet (CV) dye remediation from aqueous media and reported in the present study. To access the adsorption capacity, the factors affecting it are kinetics and the equilibrium thermodynamics. All the experiments were designed at approximately pH 7. The adsorption isotherm model proposed by Langmuir fits better than the Freundlich isotherm model. Kinetic studies data confirm the pseudo-second order model. It is evident from thermodynamic parameter values that the process of adsorption is endothermic, physical and dynamic. The process optimization of independent variables that influence adsorption was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM) through bi-level fractional factorial experimental design (FEED). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was implemented to investigate the combined effect of parameters influencing adsorption. The possibilities of using dye-adsorbed NIFGS (“sludge”) for the fabrication of the composites using plastic waste are suggested.