Balancing Growth and Defense: Nanoselenium and Melatonin in Tea (Camellia sinensis) Protection against Glufosinate

Abstract

Current crop stress resistance research suggests that the prominent stimulants nanoselenium (NSe) and melatonin (MT) might improve tea safety, quality, and stress resistance induced by the widely used nonselective herbicide glufosinate (GLU). Their biofortification effects on tea growth, antioxidant activity, and secondary metabolism pathways response to GLU remain unclear. Here, NSe, MT, and their combination NSe−MT effectively reduced 26.6−50.9% GLU and its metabolites in tea seedlings, balanced the photosystem, enhanced antioxidant defenses, and optimized reactive oxygen species scavenging mechanisms. Further, GLU-induced inhibition of glutamine synthetase (11.2−34.0%), ammonium toxicity (55.0−64.7%), and nitrogen metabolism disorders were alleviated. Stimulants exhibited different preferences in the accumulation of L-theanine (8.4−47%), gamma-aminobutyric acid (10.3−41.7%), and catechins (13.1−73.1%, excluding ECG), thereby influencing tea quality. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses validated that NSe−MT had a more pronounced impact on tender tea leaves than individual stimulant treatments. All stimulants reduced GLU-induced excessive jasmonic acid (29.8−50.5%) production and signaling responses, revealing their significance in crop physiological activities under herbicide or nitrogen stress. The reduction in aromatic amino acids helped mitigate GLU's interference with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, leading to inhibited lignin production but enhanced nutritional flavonoid levels, such as catechins. NSe and NSe−MT demonstrated promising potential as herbicide safeners. These findings provided insights into GLU detoxification mechanisms in other nontarget crops as well.