Foliar Application of Chitosan (CTS), γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), or Sodium Chloride (NaCl) Mitigates Summer Bentgrass Decline in the Subtropical Zone

Bizhen Cheng; Qinyu Zhou; Linju Li; Muhammad Jawad Hassan; Weihang Zeng; Yan Peng; Zhou Li

doi:10.3390/plants13131773

Plants (Jun 2024)

Foliar Application of Chitosan (CTS), γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), or Sodium Chloride (NaCl) Mitigates Summer Bentgrass Decline in the Subtropical Zone

Bizhen Cheng,
Qinyu Zhou,
Linju Li,
Muhammad Jawad Hassan,
Weihang Zeng,
Yan Peng,
Zhou Li

Affiliations

Bizhen Cheng: Department of Turf Science and Engineering, College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Qinyu Zhou: Department of Turf Science and Engineering, College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Linju Li: Department of Turf Science and Engineering, College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Muhammad Jawad Hassan: Department of Turf Science and Engineering, College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Weihang Zeng: Department of Turf Science and Engineering, College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Yan Peng: Department of Turf Science and Engineering, College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Zhou Li: Department of Turf Science and Engineering, College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13131773
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 13
p. 1773

Abstract

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Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) is an excellent cool-season turfgrass that is widely used in urban gardening, landscaping, and golf turf. Triennial field experiments from 2017 to 2019 were conducted to investigate effects of the foliar application of chitosan (CTS), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), or sodium chloride (NaCl) on mitigating summer bentgrass decline (SBD) and exploring the CTS, GABA, or NaCl regulatory mechanism of tolerance to summer heat stress associated with changes in chlorophyll (Chl) loss and photosynthetic capacity, osmotic adjustment (OA), oxidative damage, and cell membrane stability. The findings demonstrated that persistent ambient high temperatures above 30 °C during the summer months of 2017, 2018, and 2019 significantly reduced the turf quality (TQ), Chl content, photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm and PIABS), leaf relative water content, and osmotic potential (OP) but significantly increased electrolyte leakage (EL) and the accumulations of free proline, water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The foliar application of CTS, GABA, or NaCl could significantly alleviate SBD, as reflected by improved TQ and delayed Chl loss during hot summer months. Heat-induced declines in Fv/Fm, PIABS, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), the transpiration rate (Tr), and water use efficiency (WUE) could be significantly mitigated by the exogenous application of CTS, GABA, or NaCl. In addition, the foliar application of CTS, GABA, or NaCl also significantly improved the accumulations of free proline and WSC but reduced the EL, OP, and H2O2 content and the MDA content in leaves of creeping bentgrass in favor of water and redox homeostasis in summer. Based on the comprehensive evaluation of the subordinate function value analysis (SFVA), the CTS had the best effect on the mitigation of SBD, followed by GABA and NaCl in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The current study indicates that the foliar application of an appropriate dose of GABA, CTS, or NaCl provides a cost-effective strategy for mitigating SBD.

Published in Plants

ISSN: 2223-7747 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Botany
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/plants

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