Foliar Spraying with Tryptophan Significantly Alleviates Waterlogging Stress In Young Peach Seedlings

Introduction

Waterlogging is one of the major abiotic factors that negatively impact the growth and productivity of peach seedlings, because the peach plant is the least tolerant to low oxygen due to a shallow root system. One important amino acid that has been linked to improving plant stress tolerance is tryptophan. The purpose of this study was to examine how the foliar application of 20 mM of tryptophan affects young peach seedlings under waterlogging conditions.

Methodology

An experiment was conducted for 12 days, with data collected at 0-, 4-, 8-, and 12-day intervals. Three treatments were established: control (CK), waterlogged (WL), and waterlogged with tryptophan (WL+Tryp.). We assessed selected physiological parameters including plant height, chlorophyll content (SPAD), and root scanning (root length, root average diameter, root surface area, root volume, root tips, and root forks) using biochemical and antioxidant analyses.

Results

The results showed that waterlogging affected the plant height and chlorophyll levels, with significant reductions in the waterlogged group compared to the controls. However, the use of tryptophan mitigated these effects, resulting in increased plant height and SPAD values. The root scanning indicated that tryptophan-treated seedlings had increased root biomass and structure, suggesting improved root resilience under stress. Biochemical analyses showed increased antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, POD, CAT) in the tryptophan-treated group, indicating a successful response to oxidative stress caused by waterlogging.

Conclusion

Foliar application of 20mM of tryptophan improves the physiological and biochemical resilience of young peach seedlings exposed to waterlogging stress. This study demonstrates the potential of tryptophan as a beneficial treatment for improving stress tolerance in fruit crops, providing insights into future agricultural practices in waterlogged conditions.