Osmopriming with CaCl2 improves wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production under water-limited environments

Abstract

This 2-year field study investigates the potential of seed priming to mitigate losses caused by drought stress at different phenophases of wheat. Wheat seeds were soaked either in distilled water or in aerated solution of CaCl (ψs -1.25 MPa) for 18 h to accomplish hydropriming and osmopriming, respectively. The soil moisture was maintained at 90-100% field capacity (well-watered) or 45-50% field capacity at vegetative (vegetative drought) and reproductive (terminal drought) phases. Allometric traits leaf area index, leaf area duration, and crop growth rate were initially more affected by vegetative drought; however, terminal drought was more severe at later stages. Drought at both phenophases, especially terminal drought, impaired the entire yield-related traits of wheat; however, osmopriming compensated the drought-induced losses up to a certain extent. Osmopriming improved the wheat grain yield, economic benefits, and allometric traits under vegetative and terminal drought as well as well-watered conditions. It is recommended that the physiological, biochemical, and genetic mechanisms of osmopriming must be explored to find more valuable insights for improving wheat productivity.

The efficacy of different seed priming agents for promoting sorghum germination under salt stress

“…In addition, priming had a greater positive effect on root traits than on shoot traits. This observation is consistent with the data of Farooq et al [45], Ghobadi et al [46], Azooz [47], and Hussain et al [48] and may be due to a priming-triggered metabolic process that occurs before seedling emergence and prepares the seeds for radicle protrusion [49,50]. In addition, seed priming reduces physical barriers of the endosperm during imbibition, repairs membrane damage, improves the growth of immature embryos, and leaches germination inhibitors to promote radicle growth [1,51,52].…”

“…been reported in Farooq et al [45], Issam et al [53], and Bismillah et al [54]. Calcium is one of the main essential nutrients required for plant growth, development, and stress tolerance [55].…”

Terminal drought and heat stress alter physiological and biochemical attributes in flag leaf of bread wheat

“…The higher reduction in relative water relation under combined stresses can be attributed to lower water use efficiency of plant under water deficit conditions. Drought stress significantly reduced water use efficiency of wheat as compared to well-watered conditions [10,16]. Heat stress damaged plants root conductance despite enough supply of water, while this becomes more fatal for plant when heat stress along with drought was applied due to more water transpiration demands.…”

“…The modifications in physiological and gas exchange traits lead to yield reduction. It is reported that seed priming with osmoprotectants can mitigate adverse effects of drought stress [16,17]. Heat stress adversely affects photosynthetic apparatus and assimilate supply duration [18], which lowers yields.…”

Maize hybrids with well-developed root system perform better under deficit supplemental irrigation

“…Water deficit severely reduces the productivity and WUE of arable crops by decreasing cell division and expansion, leaf size, elongation of stem and proliferation of roots (Hussain et al, 2008(Hussain et al, , 2009Farooq et al, 2019). Water deficit also disturbs water relations of plants and uptake of nutrients, which results in less productivity and water use efficiency (Farooq et al, 2014(Farooq et al, , 2015(Farooq et al, , 2017Hussain et al, 2016). The productivity of cereals is severely affected by increasing water deficit under arid and semi-arid regions of the world (Farooq et al, 2014;Ul-Allah et al, 2018).…”