Promotion of Growth and Physiological Characteristics in Water-Stressed Triticum aestivum in Relation to Foliar-Application of Salicylic Acid

Abstract

The present work reports the assessment of the effectiveness of a foliar-spray of salicylic acid (SA) on growth attributes, biochemical characteristics, antioxidant activities and osmolytes accumulation in wheat grown under control (100% field capacity) and water stressed (60% field capacity) conditions. The total available water (TAW), calculated for a rooting depth of 1.65 m was 8.45 inches and readily available water (RAW), considering a depletion factor of 0.55, was 4.65 inches. The water contents corresponding to 100 and 60% field capacity were 5.70 and 1.66 inches, respectively. For this purpose, seeds of two wheat cultivars (Fsd-2008 and S-24) were grown in pots subjected to water stress. Water stress at 60% field capacity markedly reduced the growth attributes, photosynthetic pigments, total soluble proteins (TSP) and total phenolic contents (TPC) compared with control. However, cv. Fsd-2008 was recorded as strongly drought-tolerant and performed better compared to cv. S-24, which was moderately drought tolerant. However, water stress enhanced the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and membrane electrolyte leakage (EL) and modulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), as well as accumulation of ascorbic acid (AsA), proline (Pro) and glycine betaine (GB) contents. Foliar-spray with salicylic acid (SA; 0, 3 mM and 6 mM) effectively mitigated the adverse effects of water stress on both cultivars. SA application at 6 mM enhanced the shoot and root length, as well as their fresh and dry weights, and improved photosynthetic pigments. SA foliage application further enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, and CAT) and nonenzymatic antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and phenolics contents. However, foliar-spray of SA reduced MDA, H2O2 and membrane permeability in both cultivars under stress conditions. The results of the present study suggest that foliar-spray of salicylic acid was effective in increasing the tolerance of wheat plants under drought stress in terms of growth attributes, antioxidant defense mechanisms, accumulation of osmolytes, and by reducing membrane lipid peroxidation.

Appropriate Application Methods for Salicylic Acid and Plant Nutrients Combinations to Promote Morpho-Physiological Traits, Production, and Water Use Efficiency of Wheat under Normal and Deficit Irrigation in an Arid Climate

“…Among the strategies associated with the introduction of tolerance toward water deficit stress is the exogenous application of macronutrients and micronutrients, as well as compatible solute compounds, such as salicylic acid. In general, previous studies highlighted that the exogenous application of these materials is considered a cost-effective and efficient option to alleviate the harmful effects of abiotic stress on the growth and production of crop plants [ 7 , 8 , 11 ].…”

Drought-Induced miRNA Expression Correlated with Heavy Metal, Phenolic Acid, and Protein and Nitrogen Levels in Five Chickpea Genotypes

“…The combustion temperature was adjusted to 950 °C, its detector temperature was 65 °C, the carrier gas (He) flow rate was 100 mL min −1 , and the reference flow rate was 100 mL min −1 . 79 Heavy Metal Analyses Using ICP-MS. To measure the cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), molybdenum (Mo), nickel…”

Physiological and Molecular Effects of Calcium and Salicylic Acid on Fusarium graminearum-Infected Wheat Seedlings

“…Based on a standard graph by AsA, the approach suggested by Oser (1979) and modified by Ragab and Saad-Allah (2020) was utilized to measure ascorbic acid (AsA) levels in wheat leaves. The content of phenolic compounds in wheat leaves was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent and a standard curve plotted using gallic acid according to the method of Jindal and Singh (1975) in accordance with the modifications proposed by (Ardestani and Yazdanparast 2007).…”

“…Although there was no direct interaction between SA and ABA in response to abiotic stress, Alazem et al (2019) detected the presence of crossta Sasaki lk between SA and ABA in plants under biotic stress. By acting as a molecular chaperone, GB was shown to scavenge ROS, upregulate stress-related genes, safeguard the photosynthetic apparatus, and sustain the structural integrity of proteins (Parveen et al 2021). This implies that the used priming solutions (Ca and SA) potentially perform many roles like those of osmoregulatory molecules, negating the requirement for further accumulation of these osmolytes in response to F. graminearum infection.…”