Cytokinins along with Osmoprotectant Trehalose Overcome the Deleterious Effect of Drought Stress on Wheat

Abstract

Experiment was conducted to evaluate, how the foliar application of trehalose (tre) along with kinetin (kn) and benzyl adenine (BA) affect the wheat genotypes (HD2967, PBW660 and WH1105) under drought stress conditions. Trehalose, Kn and BA tested in laboratory studies for their best concentrations, were applied in field grown wheat under drought. Presently, significant reduction was observed in leaf area, relative growth, Hill reaction and harvest index and sharp increase was recorded in concentration of non-enzymatic antioxidants constituents at both stages except reduced ascorbic acid content showed decline at flag leaf stage along with the upsurge in the activities of enzymatic antioxidants of wheat under drought as compared to control or irrigated ones. Foliar application of growth regulators altered activities of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants at both vegetative and flag leaf stage and helps in mitigation of negative impact of drought by regulation of Hill reaction, leaf area and growth rate of wheat that tends to maintain the final harvest of wheat crop.