Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Brassinolide alleviated the adverse effect of water deficits on photosynthesis and the antioxidant of soybean (Glycine max L.)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Plant Growth Regulation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Brassinolide (BR) is a relatively new plant growth regulator. To test whether BR could be used to increase tolerance to water deficits in soybean, the effects of BR application on photosynthesis, assimilate distribution, antioxidant enzymes and seed yield were studied. BR at 0.1 mg l−1 was foliar applied at the beginning of bloom. Two levels of soil moisture (80% field capacity for well-watered control and 35% for drought-stressed treatment) were applied at pod initiation. BR treatment increased biomass accumulation and seed yield for both treatments. Drought stress inhibited translocation of assimilated 14C from the labeled leaf, but BR increased the translocation for both treatments. Drought stress depressed chlorophyll content and assimilation rate (A), while chlorophyll content and A of BR-treated plants were greater than that of drought-stressed plants. BR treatment increased maximum quantum yield of PS II, the activity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, and the leaf water potential of drought-stressed plants. Treatment with BR also increased the concentration of soluble sugars and proline, and the activities of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase of soybean leaves when drought-stressed. However, it decreased the malondialdehyde concentration and electrical conductivity of leaves under drought stress. This study show that BR can be used as a plant growth regulator to enhance drought tolerance and minimize the yield loss of soybean caused by water deficits.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

BR:

Brassinolide

F v /F m :

Maximum quantum yield of photosystem II

GA:

Gibberellic acid

IAA:

Indole-3-acetic acid

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

A :

Assimilation rate

POD:

Peroxidase

RuBPCase:

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenas

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

Ψ leaf :

Leaf water potential

References

  • Bajguz A (2000) Effect of brassinosteroids on nucleic acid and protein content in cultured cells of Chlorella vulgaris. Plant Physiol Biochem 38:209–215. doi:10.1016/S0981-9428(00)00733-6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bates LS, Waldren KP, Teare ID (1973) Rapid determination of free proline for water stress studies. Plant Soil 39:205. doi:10.1007/BF00018060

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchamp C, Fridovich I (1971) Superoxide dismutase improved assays applicable to acrylamide gels. Anal Biochem 44:276–287. doi:10.1016/0003-2697(71)90370-8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bjokman O, Demming B (1987) Photon yield of O2 evolution and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics at 77K among vascular plants of diverse origins. Planta 170:489–504. doi:10.1007/BF00402983

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun P, Wild A (1984) The influence of brassinosteroid on growth and parameters of photosynthesis of wheat and mustard plants. J Plant Physiol 116:189–196

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clouse SD, Sasse JM (1998) Brassinosteroids: essential regulators of plant growth and development. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 49:427–451. doi:10.1146/annurev.arplant.49.1.427

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper RL, Fausey NR, Streeter JG (1991) Yield potential of soybean grown under a subirrigation/drainage water management system. Agron J 83:884–887

    Google Scholar 

  • Desclaux D, Roumet P (1996) Impact of drought stress on the phenology of two soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) cultivars. Field Crops Res 46:61–70. doi:10.1016/0378-4290(95)00086-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dornbos DL Jr, Mullen RE, Shibles RM (1989) Drought stress effects during seed fill on soybean seed germination and vigor. Crop Sci 29:476–480

    Google Scholar 

  • Fales FW (1951) The assimilation and degradation of carbohydrates by yeast cells. J Biol Chem 193:113–124

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fujii S, Saka H (2001) Distribution of assimilates to each organ in rice plants exposed to a low temperature at the ripening state, and the effect of brassinolide on the distribution. Plant Prod Sci 4:136–144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fukuta N, Fukuzono K, Kawaide H, Abe H, Nakayama M (2006) Physical restriction of pods causes seed size reduction of a brassinosteroid-deficient Faba Bean (Vicia faba). Ann Bot (Lond) 97:65–69. doi:10.1093/aob/mcj014

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Genty B, Briantais JM, Baker NR (1989) The relationship between the quantum yield of photosynthetic electron transport and quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. Biochim Biophys Acta 990:87–92

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez MC, Osuna L, Echevarria C, Vidal J, Cejudo FJ (1998) Expression and localization of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in developing and germinating wheat grains. Plant Physiol 116:1249–1258. doi:10.1104/pp.116.4.1249

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Iwahari S, Tominaga S, Higuchi S (1990) Retardation of abscission of citrus leaf and fruitlet explants by brassinolide. Plant Growth Regul 9:119–125. doi:10.1007/BF00027439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janeczko A, Koscielniak J, Pilipowicz M, Szarek-Lukaszewska G (2005) Protection of winter rape photosystem 2 by 24-epibrassinolide under cadium stress. Photosynthetica 43:293–298. doi:10.1007/s11099-005-0048-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kamal M, Takahashi H, Mikoshiba H, Ota Y (1995) Analysis of soybean yield components as affected by plant growth regulators applied at flowering stages. Jpn J Trop Agric 39:184–189

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khripach S, Zhabinskii V, de Groot A (2000) Twenty years of brassinosteroids: steroidal plant hormones warrant better crops for the XXI century. Ann Bot (Lond) 86:441–447. doi:10.1006/anbo.2000.1227

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krishna P (2003) Brassinosteroid-mediated stress responses. J Plant Growth Regul 22:289–297. doi:10.1007/s00344-003-0058-z

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee FM, Liu YH (1996) Peroxidase activity in ethylene-, ABA-, or MeJA-treated rice roots. Bot Bull Acad Sin 37:201–207

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Z, Nandula VK, Messersmith CG (2003) Contact activities of difenzoquat and paraquat. Pest Manag Sci 55:928–932. doi:10.1002/ps.715

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu FL, Jensen CR, Andersen MN (2004) Pod set related to photosynthetic rate and endogenous ABA in soybean subject to different water regimes and exogenous ABA and BA at early reproductive stages. Ann Bot (Lond) 94:405–411. doi:10.1093/aob/mch157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Makino A, Mae T, Ohira K (1988) Differences between wheat and rice in the enzymic properties of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase and the relationship to photosynthetic gas exchange. Planta 174:30–38. doi:10.1007/BF00394870

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mazorra LM, Nunez M, Hechavarria M, Coll F, Sanchez-Blanco MJ (2002) Influence of brassinosteroids on antioxidant aenzymes activity in tomato under different temperatures. Biol Plant 45:593–596. doi:10.1023/A:1022390917656

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petzold U, Peschel S, Dahse T, Adams G (1992) Stimulation of 14C-sucrose export in Vicia faba plants by brassinosteroids, GA3 and IAA. Acta Bot Neerl 41:469–479

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Popham PL, Novacky A (1991) Use of dimethyl sulfoxide to detect hydroxyl radicals during bacteria-induced hypersensitive reaction. Plant Physiol 96:1157–1160

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy AR, Chaitanya KV, Vivekanandan M (2004) Drought-induced responses of photosynthesis and antioxidant metabolism in higher plants. J Plant Physiol 161:1189–1202. doi:10.1016/j.jplph.2004.01.013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sairam RK (1994) Effects of homobrassinolide application on plant metabolism and grain yield under irrigated and moisture-stress conditions of two wheat varieties. Plant Growth Regul 14:173–181. doi:10.1007/BF00025220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salvador N, Baker NR (2000) Effects of drought on photosynthesis in Mediterranean plants grown under enhanced UV-B radiation. J Exp Bot 51:1309–1317. doi:10.1093/jexbot/51.348.1309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sasse JM (2003) Physiological actions of brassinosteroids: an update. J Plant Growth Regul 22:276–288. doi:10.1007/s00344-003-0062-3

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sawada S, Usuda H, Hasegawa Y, Tsukui T (1990) Regulation of rubisco activity in response to changes of the source/sink balance in single-rooted soybean leaves. Plant Cell Physiol 31:697–704

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turner FT, Jund MF (1991) Chlorophyll meter to predict nitrogen topdress requirement for semidwarf rice. Agron J 83:926–928

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van Heerden PDR, Krüger GHJ (2002) Separately and simultaneously induced dark chilling and drought stress effects on photosynthesis, proline accumulation and antioxidant metabolism in soybean. J Plant Physiol 159:1077–1086. doi:10.1078/0176-1617-00745

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang JC, Zhang JH, Wang ZQ, Zhu QS, Wang W (2001) Hormonal changes in the grains of rice subjected to water stress during grain filling. Plant Physiol 127:315–323. doi:10.1104/pp. 127.1.315

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (No. 2006AA10A213). The authors thank Dr. Calvin G. Messersmith, Professor emeritus of plant science of North Dakota State University, for the technical reading.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Centre of Crop Chemical Control, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, 2#, Yuanmingyuan Xilu, Haidian District, Beijing, 100094, People’s Republic of China

    Mingcai Zhang, Zhixi Zhai, Xiaoli Tian, Liusheng Duan & Zhaohu Li

Authors
  1. Mingcai Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhixi Zhai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiaoli Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Liusheng Duan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zhaohu Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhaohu Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhang, M., Zhai, Z., Tian, X. et al. Brassinolide alleviated the adverse effect of water deficits on photosynthesis and the antioxidant of soybean (Glycine max L.). Plant Growth Regul 56, 257–264 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-008-9305-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-008-9305-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation