Articles
CAN H2O2 APPLICATION REDUCE CHILLING INJURY OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS?
Article number
875_2
Pages
33 – 36
Language
English
Abstract
Endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at low concentration is a signaling compound leading to adaptation and stress tolerance during plant abiotic stress.
At high concentrations, H2O2 can lead to cell death.
Our study was to examine whether exogenous application of H2O2 could lead to stress tolerance and thereby improve the quality of sweet potato (Ipomoea babatas) and sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum). This study consisted of two types of experiments: chilling injury in sweet potato (growth chamber) and storage quality in sweet peppers (greenhouse). In sweet potato (model plants), excised leaves had less chilling injury, when stored at 2.5°C for 2 to 3 days, if the petioles were immersed in 15 mM H2O2 as compared to de-ionized water (control). When cv.
Purple (PUR) sweet potato shoots were subjected to 3-day chilling at 2.5°C, a 48 h pre-treatment of 150 mM H2O2 under 16 h photoperiod reduced chilling injury, but H2O2 showed no effect under 8 h photoperiod.
In sweet peppers (greenhouse crop), shelf life after 4-week storage was longer when 500 ppm H2O2 was administered through the hydroponics system prior to fruit harvest and storage.
Decline in the beneficial effect on shelf life was observed through pulsed H2O2: shelf life was increased if sweet peppers were harvested one or two weeks after H2O2 application, but such benefit was not observed after three weeks.
Our data seem to support the possibility that exogenous H2O2 may lead to chilling tolerance.
Our preliminary data also illustrated that the benefits of exogenous H2O2 application could not always be observed under all experimental conditions (as main effect). Rather, H2O2 effects were often observed under specific combinations of conditions (as interactions), demonstrated by photoperiod in sweet potato or specific number of weeks elapsed between H2O2 application and harvest in pepper fruits.
Therefore further studies are always required to devise specific, practical H2O2 applications for any targeted benefits in crop production.
At high concentrations, H2O2 can lead to cell death.
Our study was to examine whether exogenous application of H2O2 could lead to stress tolerance and thereby improve the quality of sweet potato (Ipomoea babatas) and sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum). This study consisted of two types of experiments: chilling injury in sweet potato (growth chamber) and storage quality in sweet peppers (greenhouse). In sweet potato (model plants), excised leaves had less chilling injury, when stored at 2.5°C for 2 to 3 days, if the petioles were immersed in 15 mM H2O2 as compared to de-ionized water (control). When cv.
Purple (PUR) sweet potato shoots were subjected to 3-day chilling at 2.5°C, a 48 h pre-treatment of 150 mM H2O2 under 16 h photoperiod reduced chilling injury, but H2O2 showed no effect under 8 h photoperiod.
In sweet peppers (greenhouse crop), shelf life after 4-week storage was longer when 500 ppm H2O2 was administered through the hydroponics system prior to fruit harvest and storage.
Decline in the beneficial effect on shelf life was observed through pulsed H2O2: shelf life was increased if sweet peppers were harvested one or two weeks after H2O2 application, but such benefit was not observed after three weeks.
Our data seem to support the possibility that exogenous H2O2 may lead to chilling tolerance.
Our preliminary data also illustrated that the benefits of exogenous H2O2 application could not always be observed under all experimental conditions (as main effect). Rather, H2O2 effects were often observed under specific combinations of conditions (as interactions), demonstrated by photoperiod in sweet potato or specific number of weeks elapsed between H2O2 application and harvest in pepper fruits.
Therefore further studies are always required to devise specific, practical H2O2 applications for any targeted benefits in crop production.
Authors
W.C. Lin, G.S. Block
Keywords
Ipomoea babatas, Capsicum annuum, antioxidant, chilling tolerance, pre-treatment, stress
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