Triacontanol modulates salt stress tolerance in cucumber by altering the physiological and biochemical status of plant cells

Mubeen Sarwar,Qurban Ali,Wajid Mehboob,Muhammad Waqar Alam,Sumreen Anjum,Muhammad Saleem Haider

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-04174-y

Mubeen Sarwar, Qurban Ali + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04174-y

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Abstract

Cucumber is an important vegetable but highly sensitive to salt stress. The present study was designed to investigate the comparative performance of cucumber genotypes under salt stress (50 mmol L−1) and stress alleviation through an optimized level of triacontanol @ 0.8 mg L−1. Four cucumber genotypes were subjected to foliar application of triacontanol under stress. Different physiological, biochemical, water relations and ionic traits were observed to determine the role of triacontanol in salt stress alleviation. Triacontanol ameliorated the lethal impact of salt stress in all genotypes, but Green long and Marketmore were more responsive than Summer green and 20252 in almost all the attributes that define the genetic potential of genotypes. Triacontanol performs as a good scavenger of ROS by accelerating the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT) and compatible solutes (proline, glycinebetaine, phenolic contents), which lead to improved gas exchange attributes and water relations and in that way enhance the calcium and potassium contents or decline the sodium and chloride contents in cucumber leaves. Furthermore, triacontanol feeding also shows the answer to yield traits of cucumber. It was concluded from the results that the salinity tolerance efficacy of triacontanol is valid in enhancing the productivity of cucumber plants under salt stress. Triacontanol was more pronounced in green long and marketer green than in summer green and 20252. Hence, the findings of this study pave the way towards the usage of triacontanol @ 0.8 mg L−1, and green long and marketer genotypes may be recommended for saline soil.

Highlights

Cucumber is an important vegetable but highly sensitive to salt stress
The maximum improvement in stomatal conductance was exhibited by Marketmore, followed by Green long in response to foliar-applied triacontanol
The summer green genotype showed a better rate of transpiration and photosynthetic rate in the non-saline control but failed to maintain them under salt stress conditions and expressed minimum values for these gas exchange attributes

Summary

Introduction

Cucumber is an important vegetable but highly sensitive to salt stress. The present study was designed to investigate the comparative performance of cucumber genotypes under salt stress (50 mmol L −1) and stress alleviation through an optimized level of triacontanol @ 0.8 mg L −1. Vegetables are a rich source of phytochemicals and nutrients, which are essential for many metabolic actions in the human b ody[23], and vegetable production is endangered by rising soil salinization, predominantly in irrigated croplands, which produce 40.0% of the world’s food requirements[24] Vegetable crops such as onions, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes are sensitive to salinity[25], and cucumber is an important vegetable for human nutrition worldwide[26]. The current investigation was conducted with the aim of appraising the role of triacontanol in alleviating saline stress in cucumber genotypes and evaluating the ability of triacontanol to stimulate plant growth and productivity Such information is key for suggesting a suitable strategy for salt-affected soils. We determined the variations in ionic homeostasis of cucumber genotypes in response to NaCl stress

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