Combined application of nano-magnesium oxide and humic acid improves potato drought tolerance and soil health
Beini Zhang, Zhudong Yuan, Yuming Liu, Jiangqing Wang, Muzammal Rehman, Aie Chen, Gang Deng, Hongyang Wang · 2026
Read Combined application of nano-magnesium oxide and humic acid improves potato drought tolerance and soil health by Beini Zhang, Zhudong Yuan, Yuming Liu, Jiangqing Wang, Muzammal Rehman, Aie Chen, Gang Deng, Hongyang Wang (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13563708.txt.
Description
Beini Zhang and seven colleagues test a two-part recipe for helping potatoes through drought: humic acid in the soil plus magnesium oxide sprayed on leaves. Drought is a standing threat to the world's fourth food crop. Their 2026 trial crossed two watering regimes, full watering against 40 percent of soil capacity, with humic acid at zero or a set dose and four spray strengths. Growth, leaf chemistry, tuber quality, and soil enzyme activity were measured.
Drought stunted the plants, drained their chlorophyll, and raised damage markers, while cutting tuber starch and protein. The strongest spray, 60 milligrams per litre, combined with humic acid, reversed much of that: leaves kept their green, antioxidant enzymes rose, and osmotic balance steadied. Tuber yield and quality under drought improved, without matching the well-watered plants. Soil enzymes also livened up. The authors present the pairing as a sustainable drought shield worth field testing.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Beini Zhang, Zhudong Yuan, Yuming Liu, Jiangqing Wang, Muzammal Rehman, Aie Chen, Gang Deng, Hongyang Wang |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 52758 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |