Article

Received 09.01.2025

Revised 30.04.2025

Accepted 24.06.2025

Retrieved from Volume 29, No. 2, 2025

Pages 34 -49

Chaika, T., & Lotysh, I. (2025). The effect of biopreparations on the adaptive properties of soybean in organic farming under hydrothermal stress. Ukrainian Black Sea Region Agrarian Science, 29(2), 34-49. https://doi.org/10.56407/bs.agrarian/2.2025.34

The effect of biopreparations on the adaptive properties of soybean in organic farming under hydrothermal stress

Tetiana Chaika Ihor Lotysh

In the context of organic farming and hydrothermal stress, the use of biopreparations – particularly arbuscular mycorrhiza, rhizobial bacteria, and phytohormonal treatments – has gained special significance as a means of enhancing the adaptive properties of soybean. Their application helps to mitigate the negative effects of abiotic factors and maintain crop productivity. This study aimed to assess the adaptive potential of soybeans under organic farming conditions through the application of mycorrhizal, bacterial, and phytohormonal biopreparations during periods of hydrothermal stress. Based on a field study conducted in the Poltava Region, the influence of biopreparations of various origins on the biochemical, physiological-morphological, and stressindicative parameters, as well as the productivity of the Khorol soybean variety, was analysed. The application of biopreparations significantly improved biochemical and physiological-morphological indicators, as well as the productivity of soybeans, indicating an improvement in the overall physiological condition of the plants. The highest concentrations of chlorophylls a and b were recorded in 2023 under the three-component treatment (Mycofriend with Profix and Violar), where the average increase in Chl a over the years of research was 42.3%, and Chl b was 26.7% compared with the control. The assimilative leaf area reached an average of 29.24 thousand m²/ha, while yield was recorded at 3.23 t/ha, exceeding the control by 28.9% and 49.0% respectively. In the drought affected 2024 season, the adaptive application of biopreparations contributed to a reduction in leaf surface area loss within the range of 16.4-20.0% and yield reduction of 17.1-20.0%, compared with the control, where losses amounted to 22.1% and 24.4%, respectively. The use of biopreparations under hydrothermal stress in 2024 also resulted in an increase in proline concentration (up to 7.27 mg/g) and a decrease in MDA content (down to 7.14 mg/g), indicating reduced oxidative stress and improved osmoregulation. This effect is attributed to the synergistic action of mycorrhiza formation, nitrogen fixation, and phytohormonal activity. The practical significance of the findings lies in demonstrating the potential of integrated biological treatments to enhance the yield and stress tolerance of soybeans under the conditions of organic farming and climate-related challenges

arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; rhizobial bacteria; phytohormones; chlorophyll; leaf surface area; yield; proline; malondialdehyde
  1. Ashraf, M., & Foolad, M.R. (2007). Roles of glycine betaine and proline in improving plant abiotic stress resistance. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 59(2), 206-216. doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2005.12.006.
  2. Bogati, K., & Walczak, M. (2022). The impact of drought stress on soil microbial community, enzyme activities and plants. Agronomy, 12(1), article number 189. doi: 10.3390/agronomy12010189.
  3. Chaika, T.O., Liashenko, V.V., & Khomenko, B.S. (2023). The impact of seed inoculation on soybean yield under organic cultivation technology. Taurida Scientific Herald. Series: Rural Sciences, 133, 180-187. doi: 10.32782/22260099.2023.133.24.
  4. Chattaraj, S., Samantaray, A., Ganguly, A., & Thatoi, H. (2025). Employing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria for abiotic stress mitigation in plants: With a focus on drought stress. Discover Applied Sciences, 7, article number 68. doi: 10.1007/s42452-025-06468-6.
  5. Convention on Biological Diversity. (1992, June). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/995_030#Text.
  6. Di Capua, G., & Rahmstorf, S. (2023). Extreme weather in a changing climate. Environmental Research Letters, 18(10), article number 102001. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/acfb23.
  7. Easy Leaf Area. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.quantitative-plant.org/software/easy-leaf-area.
  8. Fatema, M.K., Mamun, M.A.A., Sarker, U., Hossain, M.S., Mia, M.A.B., Roychowdhury, R., Ercisli, S., Marc, R.A., Babalola, O.O., & Karim, M.A. (2023). Assessing morpho-physiological and biochemical markers of soybean for drought tolerance potential. Sustainability, 15(2), article number 1427. doi: 10.3390/su15021427.
  9. Gouli, S., Majeed, A., Liu, J., Moseley, D., Mukhtar, M.S., & Ham, J.H. (2024). Microbiome structures and beneficial bacteria in soybean roots under field conditions of prolonged high temperatures and drought stress. Microorganisms, 12(12), article number 2630. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12122630.
  10. Inbaraj, M.P. (2021). Plant-microbe interactions in alleviating abiotic stress – a mini review. Frontiers in Agronomy, 3, article number 667903. doi: 10.3389/fagro.2021.667903.
  11. Koval, I.M., & Bräuning, A. (2024). The effect of climate change on the radial growth of Pinus sylvestris L. and Quercus robur L. in the stands of Kharkiv green zone. Man and Environment. Issues of Neoecology, 41, 130-142. doi: 10.26565/1992-4224-2024-41-10.
  12. Leggett, M., Diaz-Zorita, M., Koivunen, M., Bowman, R., Resek, R., Stevenson, C., & Leister, T. (2017). Soybean response to inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum in the United States and Argentina. Agronomy Journal, 109(3), 1031-1038. doi: 10.2134/agronj2016.04.0214.
  13. Liao, Z., et al. (2025). The regulatory role of phytohormones in plant drought tolerance. Planta, 261, article number 98. doi: 10.1007/s00425-025-04671-8.
  14. Martinez-Garcia, L.B., Garcia, K., Hammer, E.C., & Vayssieres, A. (2013). Mycorrhiza for all: An under-earth revolution. New Phytologist, 198, 652-655. doi: 10.1111/nph.12239.
  15. Miloševi , N.A., Marinkovi , J.B., & Tintor, B.B. (2012). Mitigating abiotic stress in crop plants by microorganisms. Matica Srpska Journal for Natural Sciences, 123, 17-26. doi: 10.2298/ZMSPN1223017M.
  16. Mona, S.A., Hashem, A., Abd-Allah, E.F., Alqarawi, A.A., Soliman, D.W.K., Wirth, S., & Egamberdieva, D. (2017). Increased resistance of drought by Trichoderma harzianum fungal treatment correlates with increased secondary metabolites and proline content. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 16(8), 1751-1757. doi: 10.1016/ S2095-3119(17)61695-2.
  17. Muhammad, A., Kong, X., Zheng, S., Bai, N., Li, L., Khan, M.H.U., Fiaz, S., & Zhang, Z. (2024). Exploring plantmicrobe interactions in adapting to abiotic stress under climate change: A review. Frontiers in Plant Science, 15, article number 1482739. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1482739.
  18. Nadeem, M., Li, J., Yahya, M., Sher, A., Ma, C., Wang, X., & Qiu, L. (2019). Research progress and perspective on drought stress in legumes: A review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(10), article number 2541. doi: 10.3390/ijms20102541.
  19. Radzykhovskyi, A. (2019). Mycorrhiza is an effective means of increasing the yield of agricultural crops. Retrieved from https://agrotimes.ua/article/mikoriza-efektivnij-zasib-pidvishchennya-vrozhajnosti-silskogospodarskihkultur.
  20. Ravi, R.K., Balachandar, M., & Muthukumar, T. (2024). Multifaceted role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in crop growth promotion: An overview. In M. Parihar, A. Rakshit, A. Adholeya & Y. Chen (Eds.), Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in sustainable agriculture: Nutrient and crop management (pp. 1-54). Singapore: Springer Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-97-0300-5.
  21. Sa, T. (2024). Plant-microbe interactions for enhanced plant tolerance to stress. In Beneficial microbes for sustainable agriculture under stress conditions: Functional traits and regulation. (pp. 1-24). New York: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-443-13193-6.00001-4.
  22. Sanders, J., et al. (2025). Benefits of organic agriculture for environment and animal welfare in temperate climates. Organic Agriculture. doi: 10.1007/s13165-025-00493-w.
  23. Serafin-Andrzejewska, M., Jama-Rodzeńska, A., Helios, W., Kozak, M., Lewandowska, S., Zalewski, D., & Kotecki, A. (2024). Influence of nitrogen fertilization, seed inoculation and the synergistic effect of these treatments on soybean yields under conditions in south-western Poland. Scientific Reports, 14, article number 6672. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-57008-y.
  24. Sun, W., & Shahrajabian, M.H. (2023). The application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as microbial biostimulant, sustainable approaches in modern agriculture. Plants, 12, article numbers 3101. doi: 10.3390/plants12173101.
  25. Wellburn, A.R. (1994). The spectral determination of chlorophylls a, and b, as well as total carotenoids, using various solvents with spectrophotometers of different resolution. Journal of Plant Physiology, 144(3), 307-313. doi: 10.1016/S0176-1617(11)81192-2.
  26. Yang, X., Lu, M., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Liu, Z., & Chen, S. (2021). Response mechanism of plants to drought stress. Horticulturae, 7(3), article number 50. doi: 10.3390/horticulturae7030050.
  27. Zia, R., Nawaz, M.S., Siddique M.J., Hakim, S., & Imran, A. (2021). Plant survival under drought stress: Implications, adaptive responses, and integrated rhizosphere management strategy for stress mitigation. Microbiological Research, 242, article number 126626. doi:10.1016/j.micres.2020.126626.
  28. Zimmer, S., Messmer, M., Haase, T., Piepho, H.-P., Mindermann, A., Schulz, H., Habekuß, A., Ordonf, F., Wilbois, K.-P., & Heß, J. (2016). Effects of soybean variety and Bradyrhizobium strains on yield, protein content and biological nitrogen fixation under cool growin. European Journal of Agronomy, 72, 38-46. doi: 10.1016/j.eja.2015.09.008.