Antioxidant Defense System is a Key Mechanism for Drought Stress Tolerance in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Antioxidant Defense System is a Key Mechanism for Drought Stress Tolerance in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Muhammad Rashid, Mahmood Ahmad Sajid, Nosheen Noor Elahi, Sibgha Noreen and Kausar Hussain Shah*
ABSTRACT
Drought is key abiotic stress that reduced crop growth, development and yield. While several physiological processes are played role in plant adaptations to drought stress. However, antioxidant defense system and lipid peroxidation play a key role in drought tolerance. The current study was intended to investigate physiological adaptations for drought tolerance in different wheat varieties. Three weeks old seedlings of each wheat cultivar were challenged with drought stress by skipping irrigation. After the drought stress of two weeks, plants were subjected to morphological, biochemical and physiological investigations. Drought stress reduced the biomass and enhanced the root length in all three wheat varieties. However, growth reduction due to drought stress was relatively lower in variety F23. While the shoot length of all three wheat varieties was decreased because of drought stress, whereas the root/shoot ratio was increased. The root length was higher in variety F23. The chlorophyll a and b were decreased due to water shortage. Variety Pu19 had greater chlorophyll contents in comparison to other wheat varieties in drought conditions. The total soluble proteins, proline, glycinebetaine and phenolic contents were improved in all three wheat varieties under drought stress. The variety Pu19 was exhibited a higher level of proline, glycine betaine and phenolic contents were. Similarly, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were improved in all three wheat varieties but this increase was relatively lower in variety F23. The superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities were improved in all wheat varieties in a water shortage. The variety F23 exhibited higher antioxidants levels which are positively associated with its potential of drought stress tolerance. This study provided a helpful understanding of the significant role of the antioxidant defense system of wheat crop especially the variety F23 in drought stress tolerance.
To share on other social networks, click on any share button. What are these?
June 2021
Vol. 37, Iss. 2, Pages 331-713
