Micronutrient and redox homeostasis contribute to Moringa oleifera-regulated drought tolerance in wheat

Abstract

Global food security is being severely affected by rapid increase in population and drastic climate change. With the changing climate, drought stress has become the most important limiting factor for sustainable production of several important agricultural crops, including wheat. Gradual rise in temperature and reduced precipitations are likely to cause frequent onset of droughts around the world.Therefore, alleviation of drought stress in crop plants has become an essential requirement to meet the increasing food demand. The present study explored the role of foliar application of Moringa leaf extract (MLE) in conferring drought tolerance in wheat during the anthesis stage. The results showed that MLE treatment improved the concentration of the macro-(K, Ca) and micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Na, Mn, Zn, Si) in ag-leaves of wheat under non-stressed conditions and also maintained their concentrations under drought stress. The micro-nutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) being the co-factors of the enzymes also stimulated the antioxidant enzyme activities, eventually leading to signi cant reduction in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulations under drought stress. Furthermore, micronutrients played a crucial role in osmoregulation and sustainable plant growth under drought stress.Overall, the study provided insights into the functional role of micronutrients in improving drought tolerance and also indicated the potential to commercialize MLE as an effective bio-stimulant for sustainable agriculture in drought prone regions.

Growth, Physiological Performance and Yield Traits Responses in Bread Wheat Cultivars under Drought, Sprinkler Irrigation and Potassium Levels Conditions

“…The acquired data made it clear that all parameters related to shoot growth, biomass, number of tillers, length, density, and distribution, were noticeably reduced by drought (Table 4). These outcomes agreed with the conclusion reported by Basu et al (2022). According to Munns (2002), the findings support his theory that the stress of reduced water absorption by the plant causes a sharp decline in growth rate and a range of metabolic changes similar to those brought on by drought, which in turn causes the negative effect of drought on shoot growth.…”

“…Potassium is a key inorganic osmoprotectant solute that helps plants tolerate drought . The osmoprotectant solutes promote the capacity of cells to preserve water without interfering with their normal metabolic processes (Basu et al, 2022). These osmoprotectants' primary roles include scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), controlling enzyme activity, balancing ionic transport across the cell membrane, and halting membrane disintegration (Elhakem, 2019).…”

Plant growth promoting rhizobacterium Bacillus sp. BSE01 alleviates salt toxicity in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) by conserving ionic, osmotic, redox and hormonal homeostasis

“…Protein extracted from the leaf tissue of chickpea was subjected to SDS‐PAGE and blotted with a trans‐blot membrane (Trans‐Blot Turbo™ Transfer System, Bio‐Rad Laboratories; Basu et al, 2023b). Then, the proteins were blocked with skimmed milk and incubated for 1 h with primary antibody (Anti‐CAT or anti‐Cu/ZnSOD) on constant shaking, followed by the incubation for 1 h with secondary antibody (goat anti‐rabbit IgG Horseradish peroxidase or rabbit anti‐chicken IgY‐Horseradish peroxidase).…”

“…Protein extracted from the leaf tissue of chickpea was subjected to SDS-PAGE and blotted with a trans-blot membrane (Trans-Blot Turbo™ Transfer System, Bio-Rad Laboratories; Basu et al, 2023b).…”

Advanced Biotechnological Interventions in Mitigating Drought Stress in Plants

“…Furthermore, selecting drought-tolerant crop types and managing single and double crops during dry periods is essential for water conservation and sustainable water management in agriculture [ 21 ]. The role of micronutrients in enhancing drought tolerance and supporting sustainable plant growth under drought conditions has been highlighted, with nutrients found in plants like Moringa oleifera playing a crucial role in osmoregulation and improving crop drought tolerance [ 22 ].…”