Physiological Responses of Wheat Seedlings to Soil Waterlogging Applied after Treatment with Selective Herbicide.

Zornitsa Katerova,Dessislava Todorova,Iskren Sergiev,Elena Shopova,Liliana Brankova,Ljudmila Dimitrova

doi:10.3390/plants10061195

Abstract

Waterlogging impairs crop development and considerably affects plant productivity worldwide. Wheat is sensitive to waterlogging. Serrate® (Syngenta) is a selective herbicide controlling annual grass and broadleaf weeds for use in wheat. To extend the existing information about the physiological effects of selective herbicides (Serrate® in particular) and subsequent waterlogging in wheat, we monitored phenotype alterations and examined key enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense systems together with typical oxidative stress biomarkers. Seventeen-day-old wheat (Triticum asetivum L., cv. Sadovo-1) plants were sprayed with Serrate®; 72 h later, waterlogging was applied for 7 days, and then seedlings were left to recover for 96 h. The herbicide did not alter plant phenotype and increased antioxidant defense, along with H2O2 content, confirming the wheat’s tolerance to Serrate®. Evident yellowing and wilting of the leaves were observed at 96 h of recovery in waterlogged wheat, which were stronger in plants subjected to Serrate® + waterlogging. Waterlogging alone and herbicide + waterlogging gradually enhanced the content of stress markers (malondialdehyde, proline, and H2O2), non-enzymatic antioxidants (low-molecular thiols and total phenolics), and the activity of superoxide dismutase, guaiacol peroxidase, and glutathione reductase. The effects of herbicide + waterlogging were stronger than those of waterlogging alone even during recovery, suggesting that Serrate® interacted synergistically with the subsequently applied flooding.

Highlights

Different climate models predict that negative environmental alterations will expand due to climate change driven by pollution and global warming, and the reductions in plant productivity will become much more noticeable [1,2,3,4]
We examined the effects of selective herbicide Serrate® and consequent waterlogging of soil on wheat physiological responses
Obvious wilting and yellowing were observed in wheat plants subjected to waterlogging and herbicide + waterlogging after 168 h of stress (Figure 1B)

Summary

Introduction

Different climate models predict that negative environmental alterations will expand due to climate change driven by pollution and global warming, and the reductions in plant productivity will become much more noticeable [1,2,3,4]. Waterlogging is a substantial obstacle to sustainable agriculture and is expected to increase due to climate change It can be a result of soil erosion; bad soil drainage; or unexpected, sudden, and heavy rainfall leading to floods [5]. Plants grown on waterlogged soil are subject to adverse growth and negative developmental conditions such as hypoxia (O2 insufficiency) or anoxia (lack of O2 ), inhibition of aerobic respiration, energy deprivation, and oxidative stress. These conditions trigger an overaccumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which impede plant growth, leading to senescence and cell death. Significant harvest losses due to waterlogging were estimated to be 15–20% on an annual basis [6,7,8,9]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion