Ascorbic Acid Application Improves Salinity Stress Tolerance in Wheat
Salinization converts fertile land into infertile land, and is a severe threat to food
security and crop productivity worldwide. In this study, we treated wheat plants (Triticum
aestivum L. var. Yecora Rojo) with or without ascorbic acid (ASA), both under salt stress and
non-stress conditions, to understand the effect of ASA on plant response to salinity stress.
We monitored the amounts of photosynthetic pigments, osmoprotectants, and antioxidant
enzymes. Application of ASA enhanced growth characteristics, such as shoot and root length,
shoot and root fresh weight, shoot and root dry weight. It also improved the physiological
and biochemical parameters, such as carbonic anhydrase (CA) and Rubisco activities,
photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, b, and Total Chl), and compatible solutes (proline [Pro] and
glycinebetaine [GB]) contents, under non-stress conditions. Under NaCl stress, the ASA addition
improved growth attributes, levels of pigments, accumulation of Pro and GB, and antioxidant
enzymes activities, such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase.
Also, ASA decreased Chl degradation, electrolyte leakage, and concentration of malondialdehyde
and hydrogen peroxide in wheat plants. We conclude that supplementing ASA can benefit
wheat plants by improving their tolerance to salinity stress.
Cicer arietinum L. (Bengal gram, chickpea) is one of the major pulse crops and an important part of traditional diets in Asia, Africa, and South America.
Crop management practices and variety are two very important parameters that decides the crop performance.
The cytochrome P450 (CYP450) gene family plays a critical role in plant growth and developmental processes, nutrition, and detoxification of xenobiotics in plants. In the present research, a…