Chemical priming agents controlling drought stress in Physalis angulata plants

Abstract

Despite the use of chemical priming as a promising tool for the study of plant stress physiology and the management of field crops, little is known of its importance when studying adult plants, especially in unexploited species. The aim of this work was to evaluate the use of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and proline (Pro) as possible chemical priming inducing agents in Physalis angulata plants exposed to water deficit. For this, plants in well-watered conditions were sprayed with different concentrations of SNP (25 and 50 μM), H2O2 (10 and 20 Mm) and Pro (10 and 20 mM) and evaluated after exposure to water deficit. Although the parameters of water relations, gas exchange, growth and dry matter accumulation were reduced with the imposition of water deficit, pretreated plants showed significant improvements in the same variables. Plants sensitized with Pro and SNP doses showed improvement in relative water content and water leaf potential, contributing to the maintenance of plant water status when exposed to water deficit. The attenuation of the effects of reduced water availability on gas exchange was significantly promoted with SNP spraying, notably carbon assimilation, stomatal conductance and transpiration, parallel to an increasing in the photosynthetic pigment content. The pretreatment also influenced the growth (with Pro 10 and 20 mM; SNP 50 μM) and biomass accumulation of plants exposed to water deficit (especially with SNP 50 μM), contributing to tolerance increase to this abiotic stress. Pretreatment with hydrogen peroxide had a reduced priming effect. The pretreatment of plants with sodium nitroprusside and proline contribute to the attenuation of water deficit effects in Physalis angulata plants, acting as potential chemical priming.