Work

Micronutrient Fertilization Amplified the Antioxidant Capacity in Tomato Plants with Improved Growth and Yield

Year: 2021

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Micronutrients play a critical role in plant growth and development, and their deficiency can have adverse effects on plant performance. These elements can also influence plant physiological processes as they are incorporated into the molecular structure of enzymes as cofactors. In this study, the impact of a micronutrient solution containing manganese (125 ppm), iron (200 ppm), zinc (60 ppm), and copper (20 ppm) was investigated on the growth parameters, yield, and antioxidant enzyme activity of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants. Greenhouse tomatoes (cultivar Jet Star F1) were irrigated with the above-mentioned concentrations of elements in a completely randomized design, with five independent biological replicates. The micronutrient treatment increased the specific activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, guaiacol peroxidase, catalase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, as well as the phenol and salicylic acid contents in tomato leaves. However, the malondialdehyde level and electrolyte leakage index were unaffected. Analysis of the plant growth parameters revealed that the micronutrients increased the stem diameter, root length, number of leaves, stem height, and fruit’s fresh weight in the treated plants. Overall, our results indicated that micronutrients positively affected the growth and development of tomato plants without adverse effects on the health indices. Moreover, the application of micronutrients can magnify the antioxidant capacity of tomato plants through increasing enzyme activity, as well as the phenol and salicylic acid levels. These changes would benefit those plants under abiotic/biotic stress conditions, where elevated levels of antioxidant activities are crucial.

Source: International Electronic Conference on Plant Science (IECPS)

DOI: 10.3390/iecps2021-12008

Authors: Mohammad Homayoonzadeh, Ehssan Torabi, Khalil Talebi, Hossein Allahyari, Jamasb Nozari

Institution: University of Tehran

Language: English

Topic: Plant Micronutrient Interactions and Effects

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: University of Tehran