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Exogenous application of moringa leaf extract modulates the antioxidant enzyme system to improve wheat performance under saline conditions

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Abstract

Amongst naturally occurring plant growth stimulants, moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) has attained enormous attention being rich in cytokinin, antioxidants and macro–micro nutrients in its leaves. In this study, potential of foliar applied moringa leaf extract (MLE; 30 times diluted), benzyl amino purine (BAP; 50 mg L−1) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2; 120 μM) at tillering, jointing, booting and heading growth stages was evaluated to induce salt resistance in wheat. Water spray treatment was taken as control. Wheat cv. Sehar-2006 was grown under normal (4 dS m−1), medium (8 dS m−1) and high (12 dS m−1) soil saline conditions. Application of these stimulants decreased the shoot Na+ and Cl− contents, with simultaneous increase in shoot K+ contents. Maximum shoot K+ (48.62 %) contents were recorded with MLE application under high salinity. Activities of leaf antioxidants viz. superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and contents of total soluble phenolics were increased at medium salinity level; whereas ascorbate contents were also improved by MLE application at high salinity level. However, maximum increase in leaf total soluble protein (35.9 %) was observed with BAP application at medium salinity. The shoot length, shoot and root dry weights were decreased with increase in level of salt stress. Grain weight (18.5 %) and kernel yield (18.5 %) were also improved by MLE application under saline and normal conditions than other stimulators used. In conclusion, foliar applied moringa leaf extract could ameliorate salinity-induced adverse effects by activation of antioxidant defense system and decrease in accumulation of Na+ and Cl− into shoots under moderate saline conditions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the funding of Higher Education Commission, Pakistan under the Indigenous PhD fellowship Scheme Batch-IV. This paper is a part of PhD theses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, University College of Agriculture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

    Azra Yasmeen & Nazim Hussain

  2. Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan

    Azra Yasmeen, S. M. A. Basra & Hafeez ur Rehman

  3. Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan

    Muhammad Farooq

  4. The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Muhammad Farooq

  5. Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

    Habib ur Rehman Athar

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  1. Azra Yasmeen
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  2. S. M. A. Basra
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  3. Muhammad Farooq
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  4. Hafeez ur Rehman
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  5. Nazim Hussain
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  6. Habib ur Rehman Athar
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Correspondence to Azra Yasmeen.

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Yasmeen, A., Basra, S.M.A., Farooq, M. et al. Exogenous application of moringa leaf extract modulates the antioxidant enzyme system to improve wheat performance under saline conditions. Plant Growth Regul 69, 225–233 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-012-9764-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-012-9764-5

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