Methionine Promotes the Growth and Yield of Wheat under Water Deficit Conditions by Regulating the Antioxidant Enzymes, Reactive Oxygen Species, and Ions
Muhammad Faisal Maqsood,
Muhammad Shahbaz,
Saba Kanwal,
Muhammad Kaleem,
Syed Mohsan Raza Shah,
Muhammad Luqman,
Iqra Iftikhar,
Usman Zulfiqar,
Arneeb Tariq,
Shahzad Amir Naveed,
Naila Inayat,
Atta Mohi Ud Din,
Muhammad Uzair,
Muhammad Ramzan Khan,
Fozia Farhat
Affiliations
Muhammad Faisal Maqsood
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Muhammad Shahbaz
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Saba Kanwal
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Muhammad Kaleem
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Syed Mohsan Raza Shah
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Muhammad Luqman
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Iqra Iftikhar
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Usman Zulfiqar
Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Arneeb Tariq
Department of Botany, Government College Women University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Shahzad Amir Naveed
National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Park Road, Islamabad 45500, Pakistan
Naila Inayat
Department of Botany, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Woman University, Larama, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
Atta Mohi Ud Din
Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China
Muhammad Uzair
National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Park Road, Islamabad 45500, Pakistan
Muhammad Ramzan Khan
National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Park Road, Islamabad 45500, Pakistan
Fozia Farhat
Department of Botany, Government College Women University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
The individual application of pure and active compounds such as methionine may help to address water scarcity issues without compromising the yield of wheat. As organic plant growth stimulants, amino acids are popularly used to promote the productivity of crops. However, the influence of the exogenous application of methionine in wheat remains elusive. The present investigation was planned in order to understand the impact of methionine in wheat under drought stress. Two wheat genotypes were allowed to grow with 100% field capacity (FC) up to the three-leaf stage. Twenty-five-day-old seedlings of two wheat genotypes, Galaxy-13 and Johar-16, were subjected to 40% FC, denoted as water deficit-stress (D), along with 100% FC, called control (C), with and without L-methionine (Met; 4 mM) foliar treatment. Water deficit significantly reduced shoot length, shoot fresh and dry weights, seed yield, photosynthetic, gas exchange attributes except for transpiration rate (E), and shoot mineral ions (potassium, calcium, and phosphorus) in both genotypes. A significant increase was recorded in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and sodium ions (Na+) due to water deficiency. However, foliar application of Met substantially improved the studied growth, photosynthetic, and gas exchange attributes with water deficit conditions in both genotypes. The activities of SOD, POD, and CAT were further enhanced under stress with Met application. Met improved potassium (K), calcium (Ca2+), and phosphorus (P) content. In a nutshell, the foliar application of Met effectively amended water deficit stress tolerance by reducing MDA and H2O2 content under water deficit conditions in wheat plants. Thus, we are able to deduce a positive association between Met-induced improved growth attributes and drought tolerance.
