Exogenous Spermidine Optimizes Nitrogen Metabolism and Improves Maize Yield under Drought Stress Conditions

Ling Dong, Lijie Li, Yao Meng, Hongliang Liu, Jing Li, Yang Yu, Chunrong Qian, Shi Wei and Wanrong Gu ()
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Ling Dong: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Lijie Li: Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Biological Breeding, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
Yao Meng: Heilongjiang Academy of Land Reclamation Sciences, Harbin 150030, China
Hongliang Liu: Heilongjiang Academy of Land Reclamation Sciences, Harbin 150030, China
Jing Li: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Yang Yu: Institute of Tillage and Cultivation, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150086, China
Chunrong Qian: Institute of Tillage and Cultivation, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150086, China
Shi Wei: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Wanrong Gu: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: This study was to explore the nitrogen metabolism and transcriptome mechanism of spermidine (Spd) under drought stress conditions. Firstly, maize variety Xianyu 335 (drought insensitive type) and Fenghe 1 (drought sensitive type) were chosen as experimental materials under hydroponic conditions. The effects of PEG-6000 combined with Spd application on nitrogen metabolism were studied. Secondly, we chose maize variety Xianyu 335 for the field experiment. At the flowering stage, normal water treatment and moderate drought stress were carried out, respectively. The results showed that: (1) Hydroponics experiment showed that the content of NH 4 + in the leaves of maize seedlings under drought stress increased significantly, while the content of NO 3 − and nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate synthase (GOGAT), glutamine dehydrogenase (GDH), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) increased significantly. Spd can promote the assimilation of excess ammonia by enhancing the activities of ammonia assimilating enzymes GS/GOGAT and GDH, and transaminase (GOT and GPT), effectively alleviate the ammonia toxicity and nitrogen metabolism disorder induced by drought stress. (2) Pot experiment showed that Spd significantly promoted the root growth of maize under drought stress, so as to improve the absorption and utilization of water and nutrients. In addition, Spd can improve the chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate of maize leaves under drought stress. After the application of exogenous Spd, the photosynthetic green leaf area increased, the leaf senescence rate slowed down, and the dry matter accumulation increased after anthesis, resulting in the increase of grain weight and grain number per ear, and finally improve the maize yield.

Keywords: maize; spermidine; drought stress; nitrogen metabolism; transcriptome analysis; yield (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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