The impact of biochar addition on morpho-physiological characteristics, yield and water use efficiency of tomato plants under drought and salinity stress

The use of saline water under drought conditions is critical for sustainable agricultural development in arid regions. Biochar is used as a soil amendment to enhance soil properties such as water-holding capacity and the source of nutrition elements of plants. Thus, the research was carried out to assess the impact of biochar treatment on the morphological and physiological characteristics and production of Solanum lycopersicum in greenhouses exposed to drought and saline stresses. The study was structured as a three-factorial in split-split-plot design. There were 16 treatments across three variables: (i) water quality, with freshwater and saline water, with electrical conductivities of 0.9 and 2.4 dS m− 1, respectively; (ii) irrigation level, with 40