Articles
ENHANCING PLANT TOLERANCE TO TEMPERATURE STRESS WITH AMINO ACIDS: AN APPROACH TO THEIR MODE OF ACTION
Article number
1009_1
Pages
29 – 35
Language
English
Abstract
Several environmental factors adversely affect plant growth, development and final crop yield, with temperature stress as one of the most limiting variables.
Plant thermal acclimation mechanisms include the accumulation of compatible
N-rich solutes, such as amino acids, that confer stress tolerance because they act as osmolytes (regulating ion transport and stomatal opening), they have enzyme protecting effect and they influence gene expression and redox homeostasis.
This increase of free amino acids naturally originates from hydrolysis of functional proteins or by inhibition of new protein synthesis.
However, external applications of amino acids have the advantage of avoiding protein breakdown and saving energy resources.
With the aim to assess the effect of exogenous amino acids treatments, several experiments with plants subjected to different stressing temperatures were conducted applying an amino acid product obtained by Enzymatic Hydrolysis (Terra-Sorb® Foliar). In a study in a controlled environment on lettuce plants subjected to three different types of cold stress, treated plants have a higher fresh weight than control plants, exhibiting a higher stomatal conductance which implies productive improvements.
Also, heat stress tolerance was evaluated on ryegrass plants (Lolium perenne L.) under several temperatures regimes where lawn physiological and quality parameters were measured.
In this case, at a high temperature (36°C), ryegrass treated with Terra-Sorb® Foliar shows a superior photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) and maintains higher levels of chlorophylls and carotenoids.
These findings suggest that Terra-Sorb® Foliar has a similar effect to natural plant amino acids and promotes a better more prompt crop recovery from temperature stress.
Plant thermal acclimation mechanisms include the accumulation of compatible
N-rich solutes, such as amino acids, that confer stress tolerance because they act as osmolytes (regulating ion transport and stomatal opening), they have enzyme protecting effect and they influence gene expression and redox homeostasis.
This increase of free amino acids naturally originates from hydrolysis of functional proteins or by inhibition of new protein synthesis.
However, external applications of amino acids have the advantage of avoiding protein breakdown and saving energy resources.
With the aim to assess the effect of exogenous amino acids treatments, several experiments with plants subjected to different stressing temperatures were conducted applying an amino acid product obtained by Enzymatic Hydrolysis (Terra-Sorb® Foliar). In a study in a controlled environment on lettuce plants subjected to three different types of cold stress, treated plants have a higher fresh weight than control plants, exhibiting a higher stomatal conductance which implies productive improvements.
Also, heat stress tolerance was evaluated on ryegrass plants (Lolium perenne L.) under several temperatures regimes where lawn physiological and quality parameters were measured.
In this case, at a high temperature (36°C), ryegrass treated with Terra-Sorb® Foliar shows a superior photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) and maintains higher levels of chlorophylls and carotenoids.
These findings suggest that Terra-Sorb® Foliar has a similar effect to natural plant amino acids and promotes a better more prompt crop recovery from temperature stress.
Authors
A. Botta
Keywords
stress physiology, biostimulant, cold stress, heat stress, Lolium perenne, Lactuca sativa
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