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Foliar-applied glycine betaine minimizes drought stress-related impact to gas exchange and the photochemical efficiency of PSII in sugarcane

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Abstract

Sugarcane is one of the most important crops in the world, but subject to yield losses caused by sporadic droughts during the growing season. To mitigate the effects of drought stress, different strategies have already been used, including the foliar application of glycine betaine (GB). Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of GB spraying via leaf on gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and on the sugarcane water status subjected to drought stress and rewatering. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, using the RB92579 sugarcane variety. A randomized block design was used, in a 3 × 2 factorial scheme, composed of three GB applications (G0—without GB, G1—one application and G2—two applications) and two water treatments: irrigated (Control) and non-irrigated (Drought Stress), with subsequent rewatering. The foliar application of GB minimized the impact of drought stress on gas exchange, on the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) and leaf tissue water status in stressed plants. In addition, it favored the energy use in the PSII and reduced photoinhibition, a fact not observed in the G0 stressed plants. Thus, it can be inferred that the GB foliar application mitigates the negative effects of drought stress on gas exchange and photochemical apparatus of PSII in young sugarcane plants.

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Abbreviations

A:

Photosynthesis

Ci:

Internal carbon dioxide concentration

C:

Control

DAP:

Days after planting

DS:

Drought stress

E :

Transpiration

EXC:

Excess energy in PSII

Fv/Fm:

Maximum quantum efficiency of PSII

gs:

Stomatal conductance

GB:

Glycine betaine

G0:

Without glycine betaine

G1:

With one application of glycine betaine

G2:

With two applications of glycine betaine

iCE:

Instantaneous carboxylation efficiency

iWUE:

Intrinsic water use efficiency

Phot:

Photoinhibition

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density

PSII:

Photosystem II

R:

Rewatering

RWC:

Relative water content

WUE:

Water use efficiency

ΦPSII:

Effective photochemical quantum yield of PSII

Ψw:

Leaf water potential

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal do Ensino Superior (Capes) for the scholarship granted to the first author, and the Sugarcane Genetic Breeding Program (PMGCA/RIDESA/UFAL, Brazil) the availability of plant material.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Fisiologia Vegetal, Centro de Engenharias e Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, BR 104 Norte, Km 85, Rio Largo, Alagoas, Brazil

    Sebastião de Oliveira Maia Júnior, Jailma Ribeiro de Andrade, Claudiana Moura dos Santos, Jônatas Vieira Santos, Lennon Kledson dos Santos Silva, Paulo Ricardo Aprígio Clemente, Vilma Marques Ferreira & Laurício Endres

  2. Laboratório de Fisiologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Bairro Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca, Alagoas, Brazil

    José Vieira Silva

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  1. Sebastião de Oliveira Maia Júnior
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Contributions

SOMJ and LE designed the study; SOMJ, JRA, JVS, CMS, LKSS and PRAC conducted the experiment performing all stages of the physiological assessments measured; SOMJ wrote the manuscript under LE, VMF and JVS supervision. All authors contributed to its following versions, analyzing and interpreting data, besides read article and suggested corrections.

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Correspondence to Sebastião de Oliveira Maia Júnior.

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de Oliveira Maia Júnior, S., de Andrade, J.R., dos Santos, C.M. et al. Foliar-applied glycine betaine minimizes drought stress-related impact to gas exchange and the photochemical efficiency of PSII in sugarcane. Theor. Exp. Plant Physiol. 32, 315–329 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40626-020-00188-5

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