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Pretreatment with Chitosan Arbitrates Physiological Processes and Antioxidant Defense System to Increase Drought Tolerance in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

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Abstract

Drought is a severe environmental challenge of climate change instigating huge losses to forage production and quality. The biochemical and physiological responses of exogenous chitosan (Ct) to confer drought tolerance in alfalfa, is still unclear. Ct seed priming effects on underlying mechanisms were investigated in alfalfa to improve its forage yield and quality under drought stress. Initially, new promising exotic alfalfa genotypes (44) were tested under drought stress (80%, 60%, and 40% FC, field capacity) for their drought tolerance potential. Various Ct doses (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2%) as seed priming were evaluated in second experiment under drought stress of 80% and 40% FC in terms of improved biomass. The identified PI502452 (drought-tolerant) and PI172982 (drought-sensitive) genotypes including Sgd. Lucerne (local variety) were primed to optimized Ct dose (0.6%), and further tested under same drought levels to understand the mechanisms of drought tolerance. Drought exposure remarkably inhibited the chlorophyll pigments and water status, thereby, reduced the biomass production of all tested alfalfas. Nevertheless, drought ameliorative effects of Ct seed priming were more evident in PI502452 and Sgd. Lucerne than PI172982 genotypes in terms of enhanced chlorophyll pigments, water relations, and upregulated antioxidative capacity. A marked effect of Ct seed priming was also exhibited on improved quality traits viz. crude protein, ether extract, ash, and nitrogen free extract of drought-stressed alfalfas. Ct seed priming is considered effective to modulate the physiological and biochemical processes for improving forage yield and quality of alfalfa.

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Acknowledgements

The immense support of Texas A&M, University, USA to provide exotic germplasm of alfalfa is gratefully acknowledged. The authors also highly grateful to Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan for extending the necessary facilities to perform the experiments.

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MAS and MHNT conceived and designed the experiments framework. GM performed all investigations and analyzed the data. MAS supervised the experimental work and contributed to write the initial manuscript draft. GA, FN, and MAB revised the draft through critical reading and language editing. AG designed the methodology.

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Correspondence to Muhammad Asif Shehzad.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Mustafa, G., Shehzad, M.A., Tahir, M.H.N. et al. Pretreatment with Chitosan Arbitrates Physiological Processes and Antioxidant Defense System to Increase Drought Tolerance in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 22, 2169–2186 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-00801-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-00801-3

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