Effect of irrigation application rate and spraying of selected compounds on drought and salinity tolerance of wheat plant grown in clay soil

: A field experiment was conducted in the research farm of Al-Hussainiya Plain. The wheat plant was cultivated in clay saline soil that received four irrigation application rates. The experiment repeated two successive winter seasons to evaluate the effect of five mitigators of the environmental stresses (i.e., drought and salinity) on wheat productivity and water use efficiency (WUE). The physical and chemical properties of the soil were determined and some parameters of wheat yield for both straw and grains were measured, as well as the WUE. The obtained results showed a positive significant effect of both irrigation rates and sprayed compounds on wheat productivity and WUE in clay salt affected soil. Generally, the results indicate that the highest productivity for both straw and grain was associated with 100% and 110% of the field capacity (FC), followed by 90%, and then 80%, with all sprayed compounds. The plant height and basal numbers increased significantly with sprayed compounds compared to the control treatment. The positive effect of the sprayed regulators taken the order of K-silicate, Mg-silicate, salicylic acid, proline, and ascorbic acid. This investigation revealed that the application of K and Mg silicate with 110% FC could be recommended to mitigate the harmful impact of salts on wheat grown in clay soil.