Alleviation of Copper-Induced Stress in Pea (<i>Pisum sativum</i> L.) through Foliar Application of Gibberellic Acid

oleh: Talha Javed, Muhammad Moaaz Ali, Rubab Shabbir, Raheel Anwar, Irfan Afzal, Rosario Paolo Mauro

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2021-02-01

Deskripsi

Copper (Cu) is an essential metal for plants. However, its excess in soil can adversely affect plant metabolism. The current study evaluated the effects of gibberellic acid (GA<sub>3</sub>) foliar applications on the performance of pea plants grown either in Cu-contaminated (Cu+) and non-contaminated (Cu−) soil. GA<sub>3</sub> was sprayed (0, 10, 50, and 100 mg·L<sup>−1</sup>) on 15-days-old plants. The results showed that the increasing concentration of GA<sub>3</sub> buffered the phytotoxic effects of Cu and enhanced plant growth, photosynthesis, and leaf chlorophyll content. Foliar-sprayed GA<sub>3</sub> up to 100 mg·L<sup>−1</sup> alleviated the oxidative stress, as inferred from the lower concentrations of MDA and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (33.3 µmol·g<sup>−1</sup> and 182 µmol·g<sup>−1</sup>, respectively), and boosted the activity of superoxide dismutase (64.4 U·g<sup>−1</sup>·FW), peroxidase (122.7 U·g<sup>−1</sup>·FW), and catalase (226.3 U·g<sup>−1</sup>·FW). Interestingly, GA<sub>3</sub> promoted Cu accumulation in different plant parts when compared to untreated plants, likely due to increased photosynthetic and transpiration rates. Overall, foliar application of GA<sub>3</sub> promoted phytoextraction of Cu and alleviated the oxidative stress in pea plants grown in Cu+ soil.