The Buried Diffuser Irrigation system combined with Beneficial Bacteria injection at the roots zone Improved water use efficiency, growth and enriched abiotic stress related pathways in date palm

Phoenix dactylifera L. (date palm) is a major perennial crop in arid regions, where irrigation practices consume large amounts of water and contribute to increasing water scarcity. This study evaluates buried diffuser irrigation (BDI) as an alternative to conventional bubbler irrigation (BI), with and without inoculation of desert-adapted synthetic microbial communities (SynCom). Date palm seedlings were grown under controlled conditions and irrigated at full (1.0 ETc) and deficit (0.5 ETc) water regimes.