Effect of glutamic acid foliar applications on lettuce under water stress

Abstract

The yield and quality of leafy vegetables can be compromised by reduced water availability. Glutamic acid is involved in different biological processes and among them it plays an important role in chlorophyll and proline biosynthesis. The aim of this work was to evaluate the possible efficacy of glutamic acid in counteracting water stress in romaine lettuce. Lettuce plants were grown in pots filled with substrate and subjected to water deprivation. A glutamic acid solution (1.9 mM) was applied as foliar treatment, both in stressed and non-stressed plants. The effect of the treatment was evaluated at different time points during the experiment in order to evaluate changes at a molecular, physiological, biochemical and agronomic level. Yield was reduced by 35% in stressed plants, while no significant changes in quality parameters were observed, except for nitrate content, which increased under water stress. At a molecular level, the expression of genes encoding for ROS scavenging enzymes was monitored but, apparently, glutamic acid did not significantly prevent the water stress response. Slightly positive effects deriving from glutamic acid application were found for nitrate and proline contents, suggesting that a possible mode of action of glutamic acid would involve a role for these molecules. Further studies are required, also on other crop species, for confirming these results. Different concentrations and application modes should be also tested.

Effect of exogenous application of salt stress and glutamic acid on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

“…A similar result, suggesting a connection between the glutamic acid and LsSOD was also observed in a previous work where glutamic acid was applied on lettuce plants subjected to a period of water deprivation (Franzoni et al, 2021). Moreover, further experiments aimed to clarify this aspect are necessary.…”

Comparative Effects of Hydropriming and Iron Priming on Germination and Seedling Morphophysiological Attributes of Stay-Green Wheat

“…Changes in photosynthetic pigments and subsequently in chlorophyll fluorescence attributes may lead to an alteration in photosynthetic efficiency, including the capability to harvest light; hence, observing these traits is essential to determine the plant photosynthetic effectiveness. In the current research, a differential trend was observed in the chlorophyll content, which was positive in the case of plants primed with tap water and Fe-10 mM, which may be attributed to simultaneous changes in osmoprotectant and different response levels of the studied wheats. − …”

Effect of Mineral Nitrogen Levels and Foliar Spray with Tryptophan Concentrations on Growth, Yield and Quality of Lettuce Plants

“…In this respect, Khan et al (2019) revealed that treated lettuce plants with amino acid significantly increased the chemical constituents (N,P and K as well as dry matter contents) in lettuce plants. In this regard, Franzoni et al (2020) found that spraying lettuce plants with amino acid reduced nitrate accumulation in leaves than unsprayed plants.…”