Work

Exogenous 6-Benzyladenine Improved the Ear Differentiation of Waterlogged Summer Maize by Regulating the Metabolism of Hormone and Sugar

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Waterlogging (W-B) is a major abiotic stress during the growth cycle of maize production in Huang-huai-hai plain of China, threatening food security. A wide range of studies suggests that the application of 6-benzyladenine (6-BA) can mitigate the W-B effects on crops. However, the mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. In this study, the application of 6-BA that effectively increased the yield of summer maize was confirmed to be related to the hormone and sugar metabolism. At the florets differentiation stage, application of 6-BA increased the content of trans-zeatin (TZ, + 59.3%) and salicylic acid (SA, + 285.5%) of ears to induce the activity of invertase, thus establishing sink strength. During the phase of sexual organ formation, the TZ content of ear leaves, spike nodes, and ears was increased by 24.2, 64.2, and 46.1%, respectively, in W-B treatment, compared with that of W. Accordingly, the sugar metabolism of summer maize was also improved. Therefore, the structure of the spike node was improved, promoting the translocation of carbon assimilations toward the ears and the development of ears and filaments. Thus the number of fertilized florets, grain number, and yield were increased by the application of 6-BA.

Source: Frontiers in Plant Science

DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.848989

Authors: Juan Hu, Baizhao Ren, Yuhai Chen, Peng Liu, Bin Zhao, Jiwang Zhang

Institutions: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University

Language: English

Topic: Plant responses to water stress

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,950