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Short-Term Limited Water Irrigation Influences the Photosynthetic Pigments, Enzymatic and Non-Enzymatic Activities in Saccharum spontaneum L. at Vegetative Stage

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Abstract

Insufficient water is a leading environmental problem that affects overall crop development, productivity, and sometimes total crop failure. It brings a number of morpho-physiological and cellular disturbances. The purpose of this study was carried out to assess the effects of photosynthetic pigments and antioxidative enzyme activities of Saccharum spontaneum cv. GX83-10 plants during mild to severe water stress conditions. After 90 days of bud setts germination, S. spontaneum plants were sustained up to 15 days of withdrawing water. Our results indicated that the stressed plants were negatively affected, such as growth, biomass, photosynthetic loss, and significant reduction in photosynthetic CO2 assimilation rate. Severe water stress enhanced the level of osmolytes, i.e., proline, soluble protein, soluble sugar, and malondialdehyde, as well as catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase enzyme activities. Antioxidative enzyme activities in S. spontaneum plant leaves were improved and enhanced the metabolism of superoxide, leading to enhanced water stress tolerance efficiency. The present findings may help in better understanding of S. spontaneum antioxidative defense systems in drought-stressed conditions.

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Acknowledgements

The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32060468), Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (2020GXNSFBA159024; 2020GXNSFBA259009) and China Agriculture Research System (CARS-170105).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Area, Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, 530007, Guangxi, China

    Zhi-Nian Deng, Hai-Rong Huang, Krishan K. Verma, Yi-Jie Li, Kai-Chao Wu & Lin Xu

  2. Guangxi Crop Genetic Improvement and Biotechnology Laboratory, Nanning, 530007, Guangxi, China

    Cheng-Mei Huang, Hai-Bin Luo, Sheng-Li Jiang & Hui-Qing Cao

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  1. Zhi-Nian Deng
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  2. Hai-Rong Huang
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  3. Cheng-Mei Huang
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  4. Krishan K. Verma
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  5. Hai-Bin Luo
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  6. Sheng-Li Jiang
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  9. Kai-Chao Wu
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  10. Lin Xu
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Contributions

ZND, HRH, CHM, KCW and LX designed the experiment. ZND, HRH, CMH, HBL and SLJ performed experiments. HQC and KKV helped in laboratory analytical determination. ZND, HRH and LX wrote the original draft. KCW and LX critically revised the original draft.

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Correspondence to Kai-Chao Wu or Lin Xu.

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Zhi-Nian Deng, Hai-Rong Huang, Cheng-Mei Huang are the Equal first-authors.

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Deng, ZN., Huang, HR., Huang, CM. et al. Short-Term Limited Water Irrigation Influences the Photosynthetic Pigments, Enzymatic and Non-Enzymatic Activities in Saccharum spontaneum L. at Vegetative Stage. Sugar Tech 25, 110–118 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-022-01175-7

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