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24 pages, 1676 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deficit Irrigation Applied to Lemon Trees Grafted on Two Rootstocks and Irrigated with Desalinated Seawater

by Josefa M. Navarro, Vera Antolinos, Pablo Botía and Juan M. Robles

Plants 2023, 12(12), 2300; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122300 - 13 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1284

The use of desalinated seawater (DSW) for irrigation in semi-arid regions is taking hold. Citrus tolerance to ions that predominate in DSW and water stress depends on the rootstock. Deficit irrigation was applied to DSW-irrigated lemon trees and grafted on rootstocks with different [...] Read more.

The use of desalinated seawater (DSW) for irrigation in semi-arid regions is taking hold. Citrus tolerance to ions that predominate in DSW and water stress depends on the rootstock. Deficit irrigation was applied to DSW-irrigated lemon trees and grafted on rootstocks with different tolerance (Citrus macrophylla (CM) and sour orange (SO)). Plants were irrigated with DSW or Control treatment (distilled water), and, 140 days later, irrigation treatments were started: full irrigation (FI) or DI (50% of the volume applied to FI). After 75 days, differences between CM and SO plants irrigated with DSW and under DI were found. The higher concentrations of Cl⁻ and Na⁺ in CM and B in SO were the main causes of shoot growth reduction. The osmotic adjustment of CM plants was made possible by the accumulation of Na⁺, Cl⁻, and proline, but SO failed to adjust osmotically. In CM and SO plants, photosynthesis reduction was due to lower chlorophyll levels, but also to stomatal factors (CM plants) or alterations of the photochemical machinery (SO plants). Finally, unlike CM, SO had a good antioxidant system. In the future, knowing the different responses of CM and SO under these stressful conditions could be useful in citrus-growing areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Abiotic Stresses on Plant Development 2.0)

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24 pages, 3757 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Effects of Kaolin and Silicon Nanoparticles for Ameliorating Deficit Irrigation Stress in Maize Plants by Upregulating Antioxidant Defense Systems

by Alshymaa Z. Al-Mokadem, Mohamed H. Sheta, Ahmed G. Mancy, Hebat-Allah A. Hussein, Sahar K. M. Kenawy, Ahmed R. Sofy, Mahmoud S. Abu-Shahba, Hesham M. Mahdy, Mahmoud R. Sofy, Alaa Fathy Al Bakry and Mona S. Agha

Plants 2023, 12(11), 2221; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112221 - 5 Jun 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2333

Abstract

Water deficit is a significant environmental stress that has a negative impact on plant growth and yield. In this research, the positive significance of kaolin and SiO₂ nanoparticles in moderating the detrimental effects of water deficit on maize plant growth and yield [...] Read more.

Water deficit is a significant environmental stress that has a negative impact on plant growth and yield. In this research, the positive significance of kaolin and SiO₂ nanoparticles in moderating the detrimental effects of water deficit on maize plant growth and yield is investigated. The foliar application of kaolin (3 and 6%) and SiO₂ NPs (1.5 and 3 mM) solutions increased the growth and yield variables of maize plants grown under normal conditions (100% available water) and drought stress conditions (80 and 60% available water (AW)). In addition, plants treated with SiO₂ NPs (3 mM) demonstrated increased levels of important osmolytes, such as proline and phenol, and maintained more of their photosynthetic pigments (net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci), and transpiration rate (E)) than with other applied treatments under either stress or non-stress conditions. Furthermore, the exogenous foliar application of kaolin and SiO₂ NPs also reduced the amounts of hydroxyl radicals (OH), superoxide anions (O₂), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and lipid peroxidation in maize plants experiencing a water deficit. In contrast, the treatments led to an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as peroxidase (POX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GR), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Overall, our findings indicate the beneficial impact of the application of kaolin and silicon NPs, particularly the impact of SiO₂ NPs (3 mM) on managing the negative, harmful impacts of soil water deficit stress in maize plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Abiotic Stresses on Plant Development 2.0)

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28 pages, 2876 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biocuration of a Transcription Factors Network Involved in Submergence Tolerance during Seed Germination and Coleoptile Elongation in Rice (Oryza sativa)

by Sushma Naithani, Bijayalaxmi Mohanty, Justin Elser, Peter D’Eustachio and Pankaj Jaiswal

Plants 2023, 12(11), 2146; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112146 - 29 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2608

Abstract

Modeling biological processes and genetic-regulatory networks using in silico approaches provides a valuable framework for understanding how genes and associated allelic and genotypic differences result in specific traits. Submergence tolerance is a significant agronomic trait in rice; however, the gene–gene interactions linked with [...] Read more.

Modeling biological processes and genetic-regulatory networks using in silico approaches provides a valuable framework for understanding how genes and associated allelic and genotypic differences result in specific traits. Submergence tolerance is a significant agronomic trait in rice; however, the gene–gene interactions linked with this polygenic trait remain largely unknown. In this study, we constructed a network of 57 transcription factors involved in seed germination and coleoptile elongation under submergence. The gene–gene interactions were based on the co-expression profiles of genes and the presence of transcription factor binding sites in the promoter region of target genes. We also incorporated published experimental evidence, wherever available, to support gene–gene, gene–protein, and protein–protein interactions. The co-expression data were obtained by re-analyzing publicly available transcriptome data from rice. Notably, this network includes OSH1, OSH15, OSH71, Sub1B, ERFs, WRKYs, NACs, ZFP36, TCPs, etc., which play key regulatory roles in seed germination, coleoptile elongation and submergence response, and mediate gravitropic signaling by regulating OsLAZY1 and/or IL2. The network of transcription factors was manually biocurated and submitted to the Plant Reactome Knowledgebase to make it publicly accessible. We expect this work will facilitate the re-analysis/re-use of OMICs data and aid genomics research to accelerate crop improvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Abiotic Stresses on Plant Development 2.0)

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25 pages, 3466 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of Polyamines in the Response to Salt Stress of Tomato

by Ilaria Borromeo, Fabio Domenici, Maddalena Del Gallo and Cinzia Forni

Plants 2023, 12(9), 1855; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091855 - 30 Apr 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2184

Abstract

Plants irrigated with saline solutions undergo osmotic and oxidative stresses, which affect their growth, photosynthetic activity and yield. Therefore, the use of saline water for irrigation, in addition to the increasing soil salinity, is one of the major threats to crop productivity worldwide. [...] Read more.

Plants irrigated with saline solutions undergo osmotic and oxidative stresses, which affect their growth, photosynthetic activity and yield. Therefore, the use of saline water for irrigation, in addition to the increasing soil salinity, is one of the major threats to crop productivity worldwide. Plant tolerance to stressful conditions can be improved using different strategies, i.e., seed priming and acclimation, which elicit morphological and biochemical responses to overcome stress. In this work, we evaluated the combined effect of priming and acclimation on salt stress response of a tomato cultivar (Solanum lycopersicum L.), very sensitive to salinity. Chemical priming of seeds was performed by treating seeds with polyamines (PAs): 2.5 mM putrescine (PUT), 2.5 mM spermine (SPM) and 2.5 mM spermidine (SPD). Germinated seeds of primed and non-primed (controls) were sown in non-saline soil. The acclimation consisted of irrigating the seedlings for 2 weeks with tap water, followed by irrigation with saline and non-saline water for 4 weeks. At the end of the growth period, morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters were determined. The positive effects of combined treatments were evident, when primed plants were compared to non-primed, grown under the same conditions. Priming with PAs improved tolerance to salt stress, reduced the negative effects of salinity on growth, improved membrane integrity, and increased photosynthetic pigments, proline and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant responses in all salt-exposed plants. These results may open new perspectives and strategies to increase tolerance to salt stress in sensitive species, such as tomato. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Abiotic Stresses on Plant Development 2.0)

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24 pages, 4670 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancement of Salinity Stress Tolerance in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) via Foliar Application of Nitric Oxide

by Hasan Sardar, Zubair Khalid, Muhammad Ahsan, Safina Naz, Aamir Nawaz, Riaz Ahmad, Kashif Razzaq, Saikh M. Wabaidur, Cédric Jacquard, Ivan Širić, Pankaj Kumar and Sami Abou Fayssal

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1115; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051115 - 1 Mar 2023

Cited by 52 | Viewed by 3880

Abstract

Salt stress negatively affects the growth, development, and yield of horticultural crops. Nitric oxide (NO) is considered a signaling molecule that plays a key role in the plant defense system under salt stress. This study investigated the impact of exogenous application of 0.2 [...] Read more.

Salt stress negatively affects the growth, development, and yield of horticultural crops. Nitric oxide (NO) is considered a signaling molecule that plays a key role in the plant defense system under salt stress. This study investigated the impact of exogenous application of 0.2 mM of sodium nitroprusside (SNP, an NO donor) on the salt tolerance and physiological and morphological characteristics of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under salt stress (25, 50, 75, and 100 mM). Salt stress caused a marked decrease in growth, yield, carotenoids and photosynthetic pigments in stressed plants as compared to control ones. Results showed that salt stress significantly affected the oxidative compounds (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) and non-oxidative compounds (ascorbic acid, total phenols, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, and H₂O₂) in lettuce. Moreover, salt stress decreased nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium ions (K⁺) while increasing Na ions (Na⁺) in the leaves of lettuce under salt stress. The exogenous application of NO increased ascorbic acid, total phenols, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) and MDA content in the leaves of lettuce under salt stress. In addition, the exogenous application of NO decreased H₂O₂ content in plants under salt stress. Moreover, the exogenous application of NO increased leaf N in control, and leaf P and leaf and root K⁺ content in all treatments while decreasing leaf Na⁺ in salt-stressed lettuce plants. These results provide evidence that the exogenous application of NO on lettuce helps mitigate salt stress effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Abiotic Stresses on Plant Development 2.0)

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17 pages, 3749 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Effect of Heat Stress on Drought and Salt Tolerance Potential of Quinoa Genotypes: A Physiological and Biochemical Investigation

by Ghulam Abbas, Fiza Areej, Saeed Ahmad Asad, Muhammad Saqib, Muhammad Anwar-ul-Haq, Saira Afzal, Behzad Murtaza, Muhammad Amjad, Muhammad Asif Naeem, Muhammad Akram, Naseem Akhtar, Muhammad Aftab and Kadambot H. M. Siddique

Plants 2023, 12(4), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040774 - 8 Feb 2023

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3119

Abstract

Soil salinity, drought, and increasing temperatures are serious environmental issues that drastically reduce crop productivity worldwide. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is an important crop for food security under the changing climate. This study examined the physio-biochemical responses, plant growth, and grain yield [...] Read more.

Soil salinity, drought, and increasing temperatures are serious environmental issues that drastically reduce crop productivity worldwide. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is an important crop for food security under the changing climate. This study examined the physio-biochemical responses, plant growth, and grain yield of four quinoa genotypes (A7, Titicaca, Vikinga, and Puno) grown in pots containing normal (non-saline) or salt-affected soil exposed to drought and elevated-temperature treatments. Combinations of drought, salinity, and high-temperature stress decreased plant growth and yield more than the individual stresses. The combined drought, salinity, and heat stress treatment decreased the shoot biomass of A7, Puno, Titicaca, and Vikinga by 27, 36, 41, and 50%, respectively, compared to that of control plants. Similar trends were observed for grain yield, chlorophyll contents, and stomatal conductance. The combined application of these three stresses increased Na concentrations but decreased K concentrations in roots and shoots relative to control. Moreover, in the combined salinity, drought, and high-temperature treatment, A7, Puno, Titicaca, and Vikinga had 7.3-, 6.9-, 8-, and 12.6-fold higher hydrogen peroxide contents than control plants. All four quinoa genotypes increased antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, SOD, and POD) to overcome oxidative stress. Despite A7 producing the highest biomass under stress, it did not translate into increased grain production. We conclude that Puno and Titicaca are more tolerant than Vikinga for cultivation in salt-affected soils prone to drought and heat stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Abiotic Stresses on Plant Development 2.0)

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16 pages, 786 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Sowing Date and Environment on Phenology, Growth and Yield of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus.) Genotypes

by Lancelot Maphosa, Aaron Preston and Mark F. Richards

Plants 2023, 12(3), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030474 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1979

Abstract

Lentil, an important pulse crop in Australia, is sown soon after the onset of autumn rains and grows mainly under rainfed conditions. This study examined lentil phenological development, growth and grain yield under different sowing dates and environments in New South Wales (NSW). [...] Read more.

Lentil, an important pulse crop in Australia, is sown soon after the onset of autumn rains and grows mainly under rainfed conditions. This study examined lentil phenological development, growth and grain yield under different sowing dates and environments in New South Wales (NSW). Eight lentil varieties were phenotyped over two years and four sowing times in southern NSW (Leeton, Wagga Wagga and Yanco (one year)) and central western NSW (Trangie). Time of sowing affected important agronomic traits, with a delay in sowing decreasing time to flowering and podding, biomass accumulation, plant height and position of bottom pod. Sowing earlier or later than optimum decreased grain yield. Yield was mainly determined by the number of pods and seeds per plant, with minimal impact from seed weight. Overall, yields were higher in favorable environments such Leeton experiment which received more water compared to the other sites which received less water. Averaged across sowing dates, the slower maturing PBA Greenfield was lower yielding whilst fast maturing varieties such as PBA Bolt and PBA Blitz yielded higher. PBA Jumbo2 is less sensitive to environmental interaction and thus broadly adapted to the diverse environments. Optimum sowing time was identified as the end of April to mid-May. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Abiotic Stresses on Plant Development 2.0)

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23 pages, 5679 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Waterlogging Stress Induces Antioxidant Defense Responses, Aerenchyma Formation and Alters Metabolisms of Banana Plants

by Ee Yang Teoh, Chee How Teo, Nadiya Akmal Baharum, Teen-Lee Pua and Boon Chin Tan

Plants 2022, 11(15), 2052; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11152052 - 5 Aug 2022

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 5096

Abstract

Flooding caused or exacerbated by climate change has threatened plant growth and food production worldwide. The lack of knowledge on how crops respond and adapt to flooding stress imposes a major barrier to enhancing their productivity. Hence, understanding the flooding-responsive mechanisms of crops [...] Read more.

Flooding caused or exacerbated by climate change has threatened plant growth and food production worldwide. The lack of knowledge on how crops respond and adapt to flooding stress imposes a major barrier to enhancing their productivity. Hence, understanding the flooding-responsive mechanisms of crops is indispensable for developing new flooding-tolerant varieties. Here, we examined the banana (Musa acuminata cv. Berangan) responses to soil waterlogging for 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 24 days. After waterlogging stress, banana root samples were analyzed for their molecular and biochemical changes. We found that waterlogging treatment induced the formation of adventitious roots and aerenchyma with conspicuous gas spaces. In addition, the antioxidant activities, hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdehyde contents of the waterlogged bananas increased in response to waterlogging stress. To assess the initial response of bananas toward waterlogging stress, we analyzed the transcriptome changes of banana roots. A total of 3508 unigenes were differentially expressed under 1-day waterlogging conditions. These unigenes comprise abiotic stress-related transcription factors, such as ethylene response factors, basic helix-loop-helix, myeloblastosis, plant signal transduction, and carbohydrate metabolisms. The findings of the study provide insight into the complex molecular events of bananas in response to waterlogging stress, which could later help develop waterlogging resilient crops for the future climate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Abiotic Stresses on Plant Development 2.0)

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