The negative effects of excessive moisture on crops is due to low amounts of soil oxygen and as a result plants cannot respire enough to produce the energy required for their optimal growth and deleterious molecules (reactive oxygen species) produced that are capable of inducing crop injury. Developing seed treatments to enhance the performance of pulse and soybean crops under excess soil moisture conditions could be a short term alternative to breeding excess water-tolerant varieties which could take many years.
The study involves subjecting edible bean and soybeans to pre-plant treatments of varying concentrations of the growth regulators/compounds under both regular watering (control) and excess soil moisture regimes in the greenhouse. Treatment success will be evaluated by determining the rate and percentage of seed germination, rate of growth and development (root and shoot length, and fresh weight). Plants at juvenile or adult stage will also be treated (foliar spraying) with aqueous solutions of the growth regulators/compounds before and/or during the application of above normal soil moisture. Differences in performance will be assessed by examining the percentage of leaves exhibiting symptoms induced by excess moisture such as wilting, vein yellowing and appearance of brown spots. Furthermore, physiological parameters related to excessive moisture-induced damages will be examined, i.e. germinating seeds, and leaves and young shoots will be analyzed for changes in the levels of anti-stress compounds and activities of anti-stress enzymes such as catalase and peroxidases. Comparative analysis of final yield obtained from treated and untreated plants will be performed and correlated with the physiological data.
Related Project – Seed Treatment for Enhancing Performance of Pea and Soybean Crops under Excessive Moisture Stress