Exogenous application of trehalose alters growth, physiology and nutrient composition in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) plants under water-deficit conditions

Abstract

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is one of the most desirable vegetables grown in many parts of the world due to its short growth period and high nutritious value. To explore its cultivation in rain-fed areas, the present study was conducted to assess the role of foliar-applied trehalose (25 and 50 mM) in two radish cultivars, Manu and 40-days, grown under non-stress (100 % FC) and water stress (60 % FC) conditions. Under drought stress conditions, shoot fresh and dry weights, shoot and root lengths, photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (g s ), internal CO 2 concentration (C i ), relative water contents (RWC), shoot K ? and P and shoot and root Ca 2? decreased, while water-use efficiency (WUE) and relative membrane permeability (RMP) increased in both radish cultivars. External fortification with trehalose improved shoot fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll a content and accumulation of P in shoot, but decreased RMP in both cultivars. However, trehalose application caused no significant alteration in shoot and root lengths, A, chl. b content, C i , WUE and RWC. Of both radish cultivars, cv. 40-days excelled cv. Manu in shoot fresh weight, shoot length, E, g s , C i, WUE and shoot K ? and Ca 2? , whereas the reverse was true for A and RMP. Overall, water stress adversely affected growth and other physiological attributes appraised, but foliar-applied trehalose improved only growth and shoot P and decreased RMP. The relatively better growth of cv. 40-days could be due to trehalose-induced physio-biochemical attributes other than those measured in the present study except trehalose-induced improvement in shoot P and reduction in RMP. Therefore, a further study needs to be carried out to find out the role of trehalose on attributes which are directly or indirectly involved in plant growth under stress conditions.

Exogenously applied glycinebetaine induced alteration in some key physio-biochemical attributes and plant anatomical features in water stressed oat (Avena sativa L.) plants

“…However, it is well reported that plants modulate their physio-biochemical processes and anatomical features according to the internal or external climate so as to survive under such harsh conditions (Shafiq et al, 2015;Akram et al, 2016). In the present study, plant growth measured as shoot and root dry weights of both oat cultivars decreased under water deficit conditions, which is in agreement with some earlier findings which also reported a water stress-induced decline in growth of various crops such as wheat (Jatoi et al, 2011;Raza et al, 2012), mungbean (Sadiq et al, 2017), sugar beet (Bloch et al, 2006), grasses (Akram et al, 2007), maize (Zhang et al, 2012) and radish (Akram et al, 2015). They found that water stress-reduced plant growth is linked to the interior status of the plant with respect to specifically photosynthesis, nutrients, hormones, antioxidants, primary and secondary metabolites, fluorescence, quantum use efficiency, respiration, and photosynthetic pigments, etc.…”

Effects of Exogenous Trehalose on the Metabolism of Sugar and Abscisic Acid in Tomato Seedlings Under Salt Stress

“…However, exogenous trehalose improved the growth of tomato and increased the plant height, fresh mass, and the relative water content of tomato leaves, especially under treatment with 2 mmol/L trehalose, which was consistent with the results in Ref. [27]. Salt stress affects photosynthesis in plants.…”

Impact of exogenously applied trehalose on leaf biochemistry, achene yield and oil composition of sunflower under drought stress

“…The fortification of trehalose significantly decreased the RMP in both sunflower cultivars. Similarly, Akram et al (2015) reported that application of trehalose decreased RMP in dehydrated radish plants. So, it can be suggested that trehalose plays a role in stabilizing membrane integrity, thus acting as an important membrane stabilizer.…”