Abstract
Seed priming with silicon (Si) is an efficient and easy method to regulate plant tolerance against different abiotic stresses. A pot experiment was conducted to examine the Si-mediated changes in oxidative defense and some vital physio-biochemical parameters of maize under a limited water supply. For this purpose, two maize varieties (Pearl and Malka) with different Si priming treatments (0, 4 mM, 6 mM) were grown under a control and 60% field capacity for three weeks. At 60% field capacity, significant reductions in plant growth attributes and chlorophyll contents were recorded compared with the control. The negative effects of drought stress were more severe for Malka compared with Pearl. Drought stress increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents, altered the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT)), and triggered the accumulation of soluble sugars, glycine betaine, proline, and phenolics contents. Nevertheless, seed priming with silicon at 4 or 6 mM was effective in alleviating the detrimental effects of drought stress in both cultivars. Si priming particularly at 6 mM significantly enhanced the shoot and root lengths as well as their biomass and improved the levels of photosynthetic pigments. Moreover, Si treatments enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, and CAT) while it reduced the MDA and H2O2 contents in both cultivars under stress conditions. In crux, the present investigation suggests that Si priming mitigates the harmful effects of drought stress and contributes to the recovery of maize growth.
Highlights
Drought stress is considered as the most important abiotic stress that hampers the growth and development of plants resulting in severe yield losses [1]
Malka were obtained from Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) Faisalabad, Pakistan and were primed in a solution of 0, 4, and 6 mM sodium metasilicate (Na2 SiO3 ; pH 11.76; 200 g seeds of each variety were soaked in 250 mL solution of 0, 4, and 6 mM levels, respectively) for 16 h
Drought stress (60% field capacity) was found to significantly (p ≤ 0.001) reduce the shoot and root length as well as their fresh and dry weights in both maize cultivars, compared with the control
Summary
Drought stress is considered as the most important abiotic stress that hampers the growth and development of plants resulting in severe yield losses [1]. Drought is known to disrupt the integrity of membrane, chlorophyll contents, water relations, osmotic adjustment, and photosynthetic activity in a number of crops [2,3,4]. Adaptation of plants to water deficit conditions occurs as a result of different events and processes mainly including changes in growth pattern, plant structure, physio-biochemical processes, osmotic potential, and antioxidant defense system [2]. Drought stress led to the impairment of growth traits including plant height, leaf area, number of leaves per plant, and shoot biomass [5]. Drought causes changes in the oxidative defense system, synthesis of photosynthetic pigments, and accumulation of lipids and proteins [2]
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