Paper Details

PJB-2025-184

Lysine-chelated zinc alleviates drought stress in rice callus by enhancing growth and nutrient uptake

Naila Mukhtar, Riffat Nasim Fatima, Riffat Batool, Gulnaz Parveen, Johar Jamil, Shamaila Irum, Saba Iqbal and Muhammed Mumtaz Khan
Abstract

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Drought stress significantly limits rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and nutrient uptake. This study evaluated the effect of lysine-chelated zinc (LCZ) on mitigating drought-induced stress in callus tissues of two rice genotypes, Bas-370 and Kashmir Basmati. One-month-old calli were treated for 15 days with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to simulate drought stress (0%, 10%, and 20% PEG), both with and without 20 µM LCZ, under controlled conditions. PEG-induced stress led to a substantial reduction in callus fresh weight, relative growth rate (RGR), and the uptake of key nutrients, including phosphorus (P), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), and iron (Fe). In contrast, LCZ treatment improved callus growth and partially restored nutrient uptake under drought conditions. The results suggest that LCZ can alleviate osmotic stress effects at the cellular level and support nutrient assimilation. These findings indicate the potential of LCZ as a supplement to enhance drought resilience in rice, though further validation in whole plants is recommended.

To Cite this article: Mukhtar, N., R.N. Fatima, R. Batool, G. Parveen, J. Jamil, S. Irum, S. Iqbal and M.M. Khan. 2026. Lysine-chelated zinc alleviates drought stress in rice callus by enhancing growth and nutrient uptake. Pak. J. Bot., 58(4): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2026-4(14)  
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