PJB-2008-23
AMELIORATING EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLIED PROLINE ON NUTRIENT UPTAKE IN WATER STRESSED MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) PLANTS
QASIM ALI1*, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF, MUHAMMAD SHAHBAZ AND HAFIZA HUMERA
Abstract
The role of different compatible solutes in plant tolerance to drought stress is significant because they regulate multitude of metabolic processes including ion transport. The present study was therefore conducted to investigate the influence of foliar application of a potential osmoprotectant, proline, on patterns of uptake of some essential macronutrients in water stressed plants of two maize (Zea mays) cultivars. Two week old plants of two maize cultivars, EV-1098 and Agaiti 2002, grown under natural environmental conditions were subjected to water stress by maintaining moisture content equivalent to full field capacity (control) and 60% field capacity. Different concentrations of proline applied as a foliar spray at the seedling, vegetative and seedling + vegetative stages were: no spray, 0.1% Tween-20 solution, 30 and 60 mM proline in 0.1% Tween-20 solution. Water stress reduced the concentration of all four mineral nutrients in the shoots and roots of both maize cultivars. However, exogenous application of proline counteracted the adverse effects of water stress on nutrient uptake because it promoted the uptake of K+, Ca2+, N and P in both maize cultivars. Application of 30 mM proline concentration was more effective as compared to the other levels in up-regulating ion transport.
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