article · Frontiers in Plant Science
Drought presents a severe challenge to oilseed crop production, including sunflowers. Applying selenium as a foliar spray can help sunflowers adapt to water-deficit conditions. In pot trials testing the FH-770 sunflower variety across multiple watering and dosage levels, applying selenium significantly decreased toxic hydrogen peroxide levels. This treatment simultaneously raised levels of beneficial protective compounds, including glycine betaine, soluble proteins, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Foliar selenium also substantially enhanced the activity of key antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase. Additionally, selenium applications enhanced root mineral uptake, including calcium, potassium, and sodium, whilst boosting shoot selenium content. Across the tested water-stress conditions, these combined physiological and biochemical enhancements resulted in an overall plant growth increase of over thirty-six per cent, with treatments of 60 and 90 ppm proving effective.
Drought significantly restricts the cultivation and yield of oilseed crops such as sunflowers. Demonstrating that foliar micronutrient treatments like selenium mitigate water stress through enhanced antioxidant activity and nutrient balance highlights practical methods to sustain crop growth in water-scarce conditions, which is crucial for maintaining agricultural yields in drought-prone environments.
This research points towards the formulation of foliar micronutrient sprays for agricultural input manufacturers aiming to improve drought resilience in sunflower farming. The primary users would be commercial growers and agronomists managing oilseed crops in water-limited areas. Because testing was limited to pot trials and the abstract indicates that the underlying molecular mechanisms require further investigation, the technology remains at an early, experimental stage of development before field-level commercial deployment.
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Drought stress poses a significant obstacle to agricultural productivity, particularly in the case of oilseed crops such as sunflower (<i>Helianthus annuus</i> L.). Selenium (Se) is a fundamental micronutrient that has been recognized for its ability to enhance plant resilience in the face of various environmental stresses. The FH-770 sunflower variety was cultivated in pots subjected to three stress levels (100% FC, 75% FC, and 50% FC) and four Se application rates (0 ppm, 30 ppm, 60 ppm, and 90 ppm). This research aimed to investigate the effect of exogenously applied Se on morpho-physiological and biochemical attributes of sunflower to improve the drought tolerance. Foliar Se application significantly lowered H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (hydrogen peroxide; ROS) (20.89%) accumulation that markedly improved glycine betaine (GB) (74.46%) and total soluble protein (Pro) (68.63%), improved the accumulation of ascorbic acid (AA) (25.51%), total phenolics (TP) (39.34%), flavonoids (Flv) (73.16%), and anthocyanin (Ant) (83.73%), and improved the activity of antioxidant system superoxide dismutase (SOD) (157.63%), peroxidase (POD) (100.20%), and catalase (CAT) (49.87%), which ultimately improved sunflower growth by 36.65% during drought stress. Supplemental Se significantly increased shoot Se content (93.86%) and improved calcium (Ca<sup>2+</sup>), potassium (K<sup>+</sup>), and sodium (Na<sup>+</sup>) ions in roots by 36.16%, 42.68%, and 63.40%, respectively. Selenium supplements at lower concentrations (60 and 90 ppm) promoted the growth, development, and biochemical attributes of sunflowers in controlled and water-deficient circumstances. However, selenium treatment improved photosynthetic efficiency, plant growth, enzymatic activities, osmoregulation, biochemical characteristics, and nutrient balance. The mechanisms and molecular processes through which Se induces these modifications need further investigation to be properly identified.
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DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1427420
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