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Abstract
Optimum water availability at different growth stages is one the major prerequisites of best growth and yield production of plants. Exogenous application of plant growth regulators considered effective for normal functioning of plants under water-deficit conditions. A study was conducted to examine the influence of exogenously applied L-methionine on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants grown under water-deficit conditions. Twenty-five-day old seedlings of four sunflower cultivars, FH331, FH572, FH652 and FH623 were exposed to control (100% F.C.) and drought stress (60% F.C.) conditions. After 30-day of drought stress, L-methionine (Met; 20 mg/L) was applied as a foliar spray to control and drought stressed plants. Water deficit stress significantly reduced shoot fresh and dry weights shoot and root lengths, and chlorophyll a content in all four cultivars. While a significant increase was observed due to water deficiency in relative membrane permeability (RMP), malondialdehyde (MDA), total soluble proteins (TSP), total soluble sugars (TSS), ascorbic acid (AsA) and activity of peroxidase (POD). Although, exogenously applied Met was effective in decreasing RMP, MDA and H2O2 contents, it increased the shoot fresh weight, shoot length, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a/b ratio, proline contents and the activities of SOD, POD and CAT enzymes in all four cultivars under water deficit stress. No change in AsA and total phenolics was observed due to foliar-applied Met under water stress conditions. Of all sunflower cultivars, cv. FH-572 was the highest and cv. FH-652 the lowest of all four cultivars in shoot fresh and dry weights as well as shoot length under drought stress conditions. Overall, foliar applied L-methionine was effective in improving the drought stress tolerance of sunflower plants that was found to be positively associated with Met induced improved growth attributes and reduced RMP, MDA and H2O2 contents under water deficit conditions.
Highlights
Scarcity of water solely and/or in combination with other environmental cues related to soil or atmosphere, decreases rate of growth and yield production of crop plants
A significant adverse effect of drought stress was observed on shoot and root lengths of all four sunflower cultivars
The present study was carried-out to assess the effectiveness of exogenously applied L-methionine in upregulation of growth and some key biochemical processes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants exposed to water-deficit stress
Summary
Scarcity of water solely and/or in combination with other environmental cues related to soil or atmosphere, decreases rate of growth and yield production of crop plants. Deficiency of water as one of the major limiting factors, adversely affects the life span of plants at different growth stages [1,2,3]. Plants upregulate defense mechanism for their survival and get control of increased accumulation of ROS (reactive oxygen species) [8,9,10,11]. Due to over-generation of ROS, cell death occurs mainly due to aberration in nucleic acids, DNA, RNA, proteins and vital membranes [14]. Plants can trigger their oxidative defense system to offset stress-induced oxidative stress by increasing the levels/activities of antioxidants [13]. The non-enzymatic antioxidant compounds include phenolics, tocopherols, glutathione (GSH), AsA and carotenoids [15, 16]
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