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In two greenhouse experiments, the response of maize plants (Zea mays L.) to macro and micronutrient fertilizers was studied. The first experiment was conducted in Cairo, Egypt in which maize plants were grown on saline soils with ECₑ values of 1.42, 6.12 and 12.1 dSm⁻¹ and fertilized with N, P, K alone and in combination. It was found that maize plants produced the highest dry matter when NP fertilizers were added in the Ca-form compared to the other fertilizer treatments, and this positive response decreased with increasing salinity level. Also, it was found that application of P and K fertilizers either alone or together as PK augmented the adverse effect of salinity on dry matter and nutrients uptake. In addition, the concentration and uptake of Na⁺ ions in the shoot tissues decreased with increasing salinity level up to ECₑ 12 dSm⁻¹. This could be due to Na+ exclusion or accumulation in root tissues. However, application of N and P fertilizers tended to decrease plant content of micronutrients, particularly Fe as well as Zn at high salt levels. The second experiment was conducted in a University of Arizona campus greenhouse. A Pima soil from the Marana area was artificially salinized with NaCl, Na₂SO₄, CaCl₂, and Mg₂SO₄ salts almost to the salinity levels mentioned above. Maize plants were grown and fertilized with NP fertilizer as a basic dressing. Chelated forms of Zn, Fe, and Mn were added with two different methods; soil and foliar spray application. Two pH values of spray nutrient solutions were used; pH 6 and pH 8. Data obtained showed increased dry matter and nutrient uptake in response to spraying maize plants with Zn + Fe or Zn+ Fe + Mn at pH value of 8 at the medium salt level relative to the other treatments. However, maize plants also showed high dry matter and nutrient uptake in response to Zn + Fe + Mn soil application at the high salt level, although Zn-pH 8 gave unexpectedly high dry matter production. It seems probable that this high dry matter obtained could be due to the effect of high pH spray treatment on increasing the activity of some enzymes, e.g. PEP-carboxylase and/or ribulose 1,5 diphosphate carboxylase, as well as the increase in rate of translocating the photosynthates and this effect was augmented by the nutrient(s) applied. Also, it was found that Na uptake decreased while total chlorophyll and chlorophyll a content increased with increasing salinity level. The increase in the chlorophyll content could be due to either Na exclusion by the plants and/or the decrease plant growth due high salts.

Inoculation of Parthenium argentatum (guayule) with an endomycorrhizal fungus (Glomus intraradices) increased the growth of guayule in saline and non-saline soils low in available phosphorus. Addition of 100 ug/g of P as Ca(H2PO4)2 to soils low in available phosphorus was as efficient as G. intraradices in stimulating the growth of guayule. The concentrations and total plant accumulations of minerals within guayule shoots varied depending on growth of the plants and the minerals assayed. In most cases, the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Mn, Na and Cl increased in the shoot tissues of guayule grown in soils which contained added NaCl. Generally, addition of phosphorus to the soil resulted in decreased concentrations of Cu and Zn and increased concentrations of PO4 in guayule shoots. The total accumulations of minerals by guayule was directly influenced by the biomass of plants. Increased biomass of plants generally resulted in increased total accumulations of the minerals assayed. The influence of mycorrhizae on the accumulations of minerals by guayule grown in a saline soil was evaluated by comparing nonmycorrhizal plants with the same biomass and phosphorus nutrition as mycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhizae increased the concentrations and total plant accumulations of Zn and decreased the content of Cl within guayule shoots. Colonization of guayule roots by G. intraradices was not affected by addition of P to the soil. Addition of NaCl to the soil decreased the formation of arbuscules and vesicles within roots and increased the incidence in which no fungal structures were seen. The combination of P and NaCl added to soil had a synergistic effect on the mycorrhizae of guayule. Addition of both P and NaCl to soil reduced the occurrence of hyphae, arbuscules and vesicles within roots and decreased the overall infection of guayule roots by G. intraradices.

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