PJB-2018-909
Effect of uniconazole treatment on the drought tolerance of soybean seedlings
Naijie Feng, Chunjuan Liu, Dianfeng Zheng and Xiangwei Gong
Abstract
Uniconazole is an important growth regulator in plants in response to abiotic stresses. However, the effects of uniconazole on the leaf physiology and growth of soybean seedlings under drought conditions remain unclear. Thus, this study investigated the effects of uniconazole on the photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant activities, and morphological structure of soybean varieties Suinong14 (Glycine max var.) (drought sensitive) and Heinong64 (Glycine max var.) (drought tolerant) under drought conditions through pot experiments. Results showed that drought significantly decreased the growth of the plants. However, the drought-stressed plants with uniconazole treatment showed considerably higher biomass than the drought-stressed plants without uniconazole treatment. Uniconazole treatment showed better effects on Heinong64 than on Suinong14. The uniconazole-treated plants displayed longer roots and thicker stems than the untreated plants. Moreover, the drought-stressed plants with uniconazole treatment exhibited higher chlorophyll contents, photosynthetic rates, transpiration rates, and stomatal conductance but lower lipid peroxidation contents and relative electrical conductivity than the drought-stressed plants without uniconazole treatment. The content of foliar soluble sugar, the content of soluble protein, and the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase were increased by uniconazole treatment under drought and well-watered conditions. These results indicate that uniconazole can effectively alleviate the adverse effects of drought partly by modifying the morphology and physiology of the plants.
To Cite this article:
Feng, N., C. Liu, D. Zheng and X. Gong. 2020. Effect of uniconazole treatment on the drought tolerance of soybean seedlings. Pak. J. Bot., 52(5): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2020-5(21)
Download
