Abstract
A field trial was conducted twice (in 2020 and 2021) to evaluate the effect of clove fruit extract (CFE) and/or salicylic acid (SA), which were used as a foliar nourishment, on growth and yield traits, as well as physiological and biochemical indices utilizing potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants irrigated with deficient regimes in an arid environment. Three drip irrigation regimes [e.g., well watering (7400 m3 ha−1), moderate drought (6200 m3 ha−1), and severe drought (5000 m3 ha−1)] were designed for this study. The tested growth, yield, and photosynthetic traits, along with the relative water content, were negatively affected, whereas markers of oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide and superoxide), electrolyte leakage, and peroxidation of membrane lipids (assessed as malondialdehyde level) were augmented along with increased antioxidative defense activities under drought stress. These effects were gradually increased with the gradual reduction in the irrigation regime. However, under drought stress, CFE and/or SA significantly enhanced growth characteristics (fresh and dry weight of plant shoot and plant leaf area) and yield components (average tuber weight, number of plant tubers, and total tuber yield). In addition, photosynthetic attributes (chlorophylls and carotenoids contents, net photosynthetic and transpiration rates, and stomatal conductance) were also improved, and defensive antioxidant components (glutathione, free proline, ascorbate, soluble sugars, and α-tocopherol levels, and activities of glutathione reductase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase) were further enhanced. The study findings advocate the idea of using a CFE+SA combined treatment, which was largely efficient in ameliorating potato plant growth and productivity by attenuating the limiting influences of drought stress in dry environments.
Highlights
Introduction4th after rice, wheat, and maize [1]
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.As one of the most common Solanaceae crops, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important food crop, with a total global cultivation area of about 19,302,600.00 ha, ranking4th after rice, wheat, and maize [1]
All tested growth parameters [weight of fresh shoot (WFS), weight of dried shoot (WDS), and plant leaves area (LAP)], yield components [average plant tuber number (PTN), average tuber weight (TW), and total yield (TY)], and photosynthesis attributes [total chlorophyll content (TChC), total carotenoids content (TCarC), stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis rate (Pn), and transpiration rate (Tr)] of potato plants were significantly reduced under the two drought levels [moderate drought (MD) and severe drought (SD)]
Summary
4th after rice, wheat, and maize [1] It is used for export and local consumption because it is a good source of vitamins, mineral nutrients, starch, organic acids, energy, etc., playing some crucial therapeutic roles for humans [2]. Like other crops, this crop is affected. Extreme changes in climatic factors, including precipitation, light, and temperature, lead to an excessive decrease in plant performance (e.g., growth and productivity) for many horticultural and field crops [3,4]. Increased temperature and reduced precipitation lead to heat stress and drought, respectively, especially in dry (water-deficient) environments [5,6]
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