Integrative application of silicon and/or proline improves Sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) production and antioxidant defense system under salt stress condition

Caiming Gou; Qiulan Huang; Mostafa M Rady; Linghui Wang; Muhammad Ihtisham; Hamada H El-Awady; Mohamed Seif; Esmail M Y Alazizi; Rania S M Eid; Kuan Yan; Walid Tahri; Jia Li; El-Sayed M Desoky; Ahmed H El-Sappah

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-45003-8

Integrative application of silicon and/or proline improves Sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) production and antioxidant defense system under salt stress condition

Sci Rep. 2023 Oct 25;13(1):18315. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-45003-8.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Engineering, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan, China.
² Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 63514, Egypt.
³ College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, 712100, China.
⁴ Toxicology and Food Contaminants Department, Food Industries and Nutrition Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt.
⁵ Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Yibin, 643000, Sichuan, China.
⁶ Agricultural Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Banha, 13518, Egypt.
⁷ International Faculty of Applied Technology, Yibin University, Yibin, 644000, Sichuan, China.
⁸ College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Engineering, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan, China. jia.li16@aliyun.com.
⁹ Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt. desoky_s@yahoo.com.
¹⁰ College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Engineering, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan, China. ahmed_elsappah2006@yahoo.com.
¹¹ Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt. ahmed_elsappah2006@yahoo.com.

Abstract

Silicon (Si) and/or proline (Pro) are natural supplements that are considered to induce plants' stress tolerance against various abiotic stresses. Sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) production is severely afflicted by salinity stress. Therefore, two field tests were conducted to evaluate the potential effects of Si and/or Pro (6mM) used as seed soaking (SS) and/or foliar spray (FS) on Sweet corn plant growth and yield, physio-biochemical attributes, and antioxidant defense systems grown in a saline (EC = 7.14dS m^-1) soil. The Si and/or Pro significantly increased growth and yield, photosynthetic pigments, free proline, total soluble sugars (TSS), K⁺/Na⁺ratios, relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), α-Tocopherol (α-TOC), Ascorbate (AsA), glutathione (GSH), enzymatic antioxidants activities and other anatomical features as compared to controls. In contrast, electrolytes, such as SS and/or FS under salt stress compared to controls (SS and FS using tap water) were significantly decreased. The best results were obtained when SS was combined with FS via Si or Pro. These alterations are brought about by the exogenous application of Si and/or Pro rendering these elements potentially useful in aiding sweet corn plants to acclimate successfully to saline soil.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antioxidants* / pharmacology
Glutathione
Proline / pharmacology
Salt Stress
Silicon / pharmacology
Soil / chemistry
Water
Zea mays*

Substances

Antioxidants
Silicon
Proline
Glutathione
Water
Soil