Abstract
Drought stress has been shown to have harmful effects on crop productivity worldwide, including in Pakistan, due to rapid climate change scenarios. Extensive work has been reported on the influential role of melatonin (MEL) in either foliar or seed-primed applications; however, its role in root application is seldom reported. We investigated plant biochemical responses, including anti-oxidants, plant pigments, leaf water characteristics, and maize crop production, with MEL treatment under mild and severe drought stress. Maize Cvar. Jalal was subjected to drought stress (60% and 80% of full irrigation) at the four-leaf stage, and MEL was applied as pretreatment with irrigation water at different doses (0, 100, and 200µM). The findings of the study revealed that the Chl a, b, and a + b contents and the carotenoid content significantly increased with MEL application during severe and mild drought stress. After applying 200 µM MEL, leaf water attributes, comprising relative water content (RWC), leaf water content (LWC), and relative saturation deficit (RSD), increased by 1.9%, 100%, and 71.2%, respectively, during mild drought and 17%, 133%, and 32% under severe drought. The anti-oxidant activities of POD, CAT, and APX were remarkably enhanced with MEL during drought stress. Our results showed that root application of 200 µM melatonin boosted seed yield and water productivity by 31% and 38%, and plant biomass increased by 32% and 29% under mild and severe drought stressors compared to plants with no MEL, leading to increased drought tolerance.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
MEL application significantly increased chlorophyll a, b and a + b contents in maize under severe and mild drought.
- Material
- Cvar. Jalale4
- Treatment
- MEL applicatione3
- Outcome
- Chl a, b, and a + b contentse3
- Direction
- increasede3
- Qualifier
- during severe and mild drought stresse5
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e3“the Chl a, b, and a + b contents and the carotenoid content significantly increased with MEL application”
e5“during severe and mild drought stress”
Claim · model-written summary
MEL application significantly increased carotenoid content in maize under severe and mild drought.
- Material
- Cvar. Jalale4
- Treatment
- MEL applicatione3
- Outcome
- carotenoid contente3
- Direction
- increasede3
- Qualifier
- during severe and mild drought stresse5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e3“the Chl a, b, and a + b contents and the carotenoid content significantly increased with MEL application”
e5“during severe and mild drought stress”
Claim · model-written summary
After 200 µM MEL, relative water content increased by 1.9% under mild drought.
- Treatment
- 200 µM MELe0
- Outcome
- relative water content (RWC)e1
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 1.9%e2
- Qualifier
- during mild droughte2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e0“After applying 200 µM MEL”
e1“comprising relative water content (RWC), leaf water content (LWC), and relative saturation deficit (RSD)”
e2“increased by 1.9%, 100%, and 71.2%, respectively, during mild drought and 17%, 133%, and 32% under severe drought”
Claim · model-written summary
After 200 µM MEL, relative water content increased by 17% under severe drought.
- Treatment
- 200 µM MELe0
- Outcome
- relative water content (RWC)e1
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 17%e2
- Qualifier
- under severe droughte2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e0“After applying 200 µM MEL”
e1“comprising relative water content (RWC), leaf water content (LWC), and relative saturation deficit (RSD)”
e2“increased by 1.9%, 100%, and 71.2%, respectively, during mild drought and 17%, 133%, and 32% under severe drought”
Claim · model-written summary
After 200 µM MEL, leaf water content increased by 100% under mild drought.
- Treatment
- 200 µM MELe0
- Outcome
- leaf water content (LWC)e1
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 100%e2
- Qualifier
- during mild droughte2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e0“After applying 200 µM MEL”
e1“comprising relative water content (RWC), leaf water content (LWC), and relative saturation deficit (RSD)”
e2“increased by 1.9%, 100%, and 71.2%, respectively, during mild drought and 17%, 133%, and 32% under severe drought”
Claim · model-written summary
After 200 µM MEL, leaf water content increased by 133% under severe drought.
- Treatment
- 200 µM MELe0
- Outcome
- leaf water content (LWC)e1
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 133%e2
- Qualifier
- under severe droughte2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e0“After applying 200 µM MEL”
e1“comprising relative water content (RWC), leaf water content (LWC), and relative saturation deficit (RSD)”
e2“increased by 1.9%, 100%, and 71.2%, respectively, during mild drought and 17%, 133%, and 32% under severe drought”
Claim · model-written summary
After 200 µM MEL, relative saturation deficit increased by 71.2% under mild drought.
- Treatment
- 200 µM MELe0
- Outcome
- relative saturation deficit (RSD)e1
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 71.2%e2
- Qualifier
- during mild droughte2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e0“After applying 200 µM MEL”
e1“comprising relative water content (RWC), leaf water content (LWC), and relative saturation deficit (RSD)”
e2“increased by 1.9%, 100%, and 71.2%, respectively, during mild drought and 17%, 133%, and 32% under severe drought”
Claim · model-written summary
After 200 µM MEL, relative saturation deficit increased by 32% under severe drought.
- Treatment
- 200 µM MELe0
- Outcome
- relative saturation deficit (RSD)e1
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 32%e2
- Qualifier
- under severe droughte2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e0“After applying 200 µM MEL”
e1“comprising relative water content (RWC), leaf water content (LWC), and relative saturation deficit (RSD)”
e2“increased by 1.9%, 100%, and 71.2%, respectively, during mild drought and 17%, 133%, and 32% under severe drought”
Claim · model-written summary
MEL enhanced the anti-oxidant activities of POD, CAT and APX during drought stress.
- Treatment
- MELe6
- Outcome
- anti-oxidant activities of POD, CAT, and APXe6
- Direction
- enhancede6
- Qualifier
- during drought stresse6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e6“The anti-oxidant activities of POD, CAT, and APX were remarkably enhanced with MEL during drought stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Root application of 200 µM melatonin boosted maize seed yield by 31% compared with plants with no MEL.
- Treatment
- root application of 200 µM melatonine7
- Outcome
- seed yielde7
- Direction
- boostede7
- Value
- 31%e7
- Comparator
- plants with no MELe5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e7“root application of 200 µM melatonin boosted seed yield and water productivity by 31% and 38%”
e5“compared to plants with no MEL”
Claim · model-written summary
Root application of 200 µM melatonin boosted maize water productivity by 38% compared with plants with no MEL.
- Treatment
- root application of 200 µM melatonine7
- Outcome
- water productivitye7
- Direction
- boostede7
- Value
- 38%e7
- Comparator
- plants with no MELe5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e7“root application of 200 µM melatonin boosted seed yield and water productivity by 31% and 38%”
e5“compared to plants with no MEL”
Claim · model-written summary
Root application of 200 µM melatonin increased maize plant biomass by 32% under mild drought compared with plants with no MEL.
- Treatment
- root application of 200 µM melatonine7
- Outcome
- plant biomasse6
- Direction
- increasede6
- Value
- 32%e6
- Qualifier
- under mild and severe drought stressorse6
- Comparator
- plants with no MELe5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e7“root application of 200 µM melatonin boosted seed yield and water productivity by 31% and 38%”
e5“compared to plants with no MEL”
e6“plant biomass increased by 32% and 29% under mild and severe drought stressors”
Claim · model-written summary
Root application of 200 µM melatonin increased maize plant biomass by 29% under severe drought compared with plants with no MEL.
- Treatment
- root application of 200 µM melatonine7
- Outcome
- plant biomasse6
- Direction
- increasede6
- Value
- 29%e6
- Qualifier
- under mild and severe drought stressorse6
- Comparator
- plants with no MELe5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Maize Cvar. Jalal”
e7“root application of 200 µM melatonin boosted seed yield and water productivity by 31% and 38%”
e5“compared to plants with no MEL”
e6“plant biomass increased by 32% and 29% under mild and severe drought stressors”
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