Presowing seed treatment with glycine betaine confers NaCl tolerance in quinoa by modulating some physiological processes and antioxidant machinery

Abstract

IntroductionGlobal warming induced climatic changes are among the major causes for salinity and drought stresses which ultimately reduce plant growth and yield. Therefore, the study of different physiological processes in plants is of prime importance for improvement in food security (Abdallah et al., 2020). Salinization, as a serious problem, is increasing day by day worldwide and considerably affects the arable lands particularly in dryland environments. Up to the mid of 21st century, 50% arable land will be lost due to salinity as the salinity is increasing about 10% annually (Al-Dakheel and Hussain, 2016). Accumulation of salts changes different physiological mechanisms like gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence in crop plants (Shahbaz et al., 2017). Salinity also disturbs the numerous metabolic processes especially CO 2 assimilation rate and reduces the growth in rice (Shahbaz and Zia, 2011) and sunflower (Lalarukh and Shahbaz, 2018). Salinity is a major factor that reduces plant development and yield (Shahbaz et al., 2017;Lalarukh and Shahbaz, 2018).Oxidative stress generated due to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to the upregulation of defensive mechanism in plants, i.e., enzymatic (catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase) as well as nonenzymatic (ascorbate, tocopherol and phenolics) antioxidants (Shafiq et al., 2015). Enzymatic antioxidants support the steady development and reclamation of ROS, produced under stress condition. Being a halophyte, quinoa has a diversified range of different salt tolerant mechanisms (Ruiz et al., 2016).Halophytes are used as a source of food even under high saline conditions. Because of its tolerance to different abiotic stresses and superior nutritional profile, quinoa has a great potential to meet human food resources (Ruiz et al., 2016). Quinoa has strong ability to survive in harsh environmental conditions like salinity and drought.

Effect of strigolactone on growth, photosynthetic efficiency, antioxidant activity, and osmolytes accumulation in different maize ( Zea mays L.) hybrids grown under drought stress

“… 45 In our understanding, the important components and their roles in significant achievements have been seen for jasmonates, salicylic acid, abscisic acid, auxin, gibberellic acid, brassinosteroids, and ethylene plant responses against the various abiotic stress. 31 Drought is a multidimensional constraint that modifies plants’ physiology and morphology and causes numerous devastating changes in biochemical pathways. Plant biomass comprises about 80–95% water, vital in maintaining structural and functional integrity.…”

“…The homogenate was then centrifugated at 15,000 × g for 15 min, and the resulting supernatant was utilized to estimate antioxidant activities. Catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activity were determined according to the protocol mentioned by Maqsood et al 31 The sample mixture consisted of enzyme extract (0.1 µL), potassium buffer (1.9 mL), and H 2 O 2 (1 mL). Absorbance values were measured using a spectrophotometer (IRMECO U-2020 Lütjensee, Germany) at 240 nm for a duration of 120 s with an interval of every 30 s. Similarly, the POD reaction mixture was prepared by combining guaiacol (100 µL), potassium buffer (750 µL), enzyme extract (100 µL), and H 2 O 2 (100 µL).…”

Proline-Induced Modifications in Morpho-Physiological, Biochemical and Yield Attributes of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Cultivars under Salt Stress

“…Under high-salinity stress toxic sodium and chloride ions interfere in the uptake of water and essential nutrients [69] resulting in osmotic stress and dehydration of cells [70,71]. The accumulation of Na + in plant cells constrains potassium ion (K + ) uptake, which is essential for plant growth [52].…”

Current trends and prospects in quinoa research: An approach for strategic knowledge areas

“…This cluster comprises research focused on crop yield improvement factors such as sowing practices, growth rate indicators, abiotic factors, and drought stress tolerance and resistance (Panuccio et al., 2014 ; Yasui et al., 2016 ). Different sowing practices influence the calcium, potassium, magnesium, and protein contents (Zulkadir & İdikut, 2021 ), especially the use of presowing seed treatments such as glycine betaine to enhance and maintain the growth rate under salinity stress conditions (Maqsood et al., 2021 ).…”