Abstract
BACKGROUND: Water deficits, exacerbated by climate change and unpredictable weather, have become a significant global challenge to agricultural productivity. In this context, exogenous melatonin treatment is well documented as a stress alleviator; however, its effects on various biological processes, particularly in less-explored genotypes, remain understudied. This study aimed to enhance water deficit resilience in sweet corn by applying foliar melatonin to four genotypes-Messenger, Dessert, Royalty, and Tyson under two levels of water deprivation induced by polyethylene glycol at 8% and 12% concentrations in a hydroponic, controlled environment. RESULTS: The melatonin treatments were assessed for their impact on various morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters under both normal and water-deficit conditions. Under severe water deprivation (12% PEG), melatonin increased root length by 75%, peroxidase activity by 31% while reducing malondialdehyde content by 34% in genotype Dessert indicating enhanced antioxidant defense and reduced oxidative damage. Likewise in genotype Royalty, stomatal conductance increased by 68%, with increasing specific area by 125% on melatonin treatment under severe water deprivation. The treatment also improved chlorophyll-a content by 93% in Royalty and 37% in Tyson, while decrease in malondialdehyde levels by 42% in Tyson, indicating reduced oxidative damage under severe water deprivation. In addition, melatonin increased photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm) in all genotypes with 27% increase in Royalty and improved quantum yield across all genotypes, regardless of the water deficit level. CONCLUSION: Overall, melatonin treatment showed genotype-specific and dose-dependent effects in mitigating water deficit effects, offering a promising strategy to improve crop resilience and productivity in limited water environments. These results suggest the practical application for integrating melatonin treatments into sustainable agricultural practices, such as improving water deficit tolerance in sweet corn and potentially other crops, to maintain productivity under adverse climatic conditions.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin increased root length by 75% in Dessert under 12% PEG.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- Desserte0
- Treatment
- melatonine0
- Outcome
- root lengthe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 75%e0
- Qualifier
- 12% PEGe0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Under severe water deprivation (12% PEG), melatonin increased root length by 75%, peroxidase activity by 31% while reducing malondialdehyde content by 34% in genotype Dessert”
t0“sweet corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin increased peroxidase activity by 31% in Dessert under 12% PEG.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- Desserte0
- Treatment
- melatonine0
- Outcome
- peroxidase activitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 31%e0
- Qualifier
- 12% PEGe0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Under severe water deprivation (12% PEG), melatonin increased root length by 75%, peroxidase activity by 31% while reducing malondialdehyde content by 34% in genotype Dessert”
t0“sweet corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin reducing malondialdehyde content by 34% in Dessert under 12% PEG.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- Desserte0
- Treatment
- melatonine0
- Outcome
- malondialdehyde contente0
- Direction
- reducinge0
- Value
- 34%e0
- Qualifier
- 12% PEGe0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Under severe water deprivation (12% PEG), melatonin increased root length by 75%, peroxidase activity by 31% while reducing malondialdehyde content by 34% in genotype Dessert”
t0“sweet corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin increased Royalty stomatal conductance by 68% under severe water deprivation.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- Royaltye0
- Treatment
- melatonine0
- Outcome
- stomatal conductancee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 68%e0
- Qualifier
- severe water deprivatione0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Likewise in genotype Royalty, stomatal conductance increased by 68%, with increasing specific area by 125% on melatonin treatment under severe water deprivation.”
t0“sweet corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin increasing Royalty specific area by 125% under severe water deprivation.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- Royaltye0
- Treatment
- melatonine0
- Outcome
- specific areae0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 125%e0
- Qualifier
- severe water deprivatione0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Likewise in genotype Royalty, stomatal conductance increased by 68%, with increasing specific area by 125% on melatonin treatment under severe water deprivation.”
t0“sweet corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin improved chlorophyll-a content by 93% in Royalty under severe water deprivation.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- Royaltye0
- Treatment
- treatmente0
- Outcome
- chlorophyll-a contente0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 93%e0
- Qualifier
- severe water deprivatione0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The treatment also improved chlorophyll-a content by 93% in Royalty and 37% in Tyson, while decrease in malondialdehyde levels by 42% in Tyson, indicating reduced oxidative damage under severe water deprivation.”
t0“sweet corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin improved chlorophyll-a content by 37% in Tyson under severe water deprivation.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- Tysone0
- Treatment
- treatmente0
- Outcome
- chlorophyll-a contente0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 37%e0
- Qualifier
- severe water deprivatione0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The treatment also improved chlorophyll-a content by 93% in Royalty and 37% in Tyson, while decrease in malondialdehyde levels by 42% in Tyson, indicating reduced oxidative damage under severe water deprivation.”
t0“sweet corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin decrease malondialdehyde levels by 42% in Tyson under severe water deprivation.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- Tysone0
- Treatment
- treatmente0
- Outcome
- malondialdehyde levelse0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Value
- 42%e0
- Qualifier
- severe water deprivatione0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The treatment also improved chlorophyll-a content by 93% in Royalty and 37% in Tyson, while decrease in malondialdehyde levels by 42% in Tyson, indicating reduced oxidative damage under severe water deprivation.”
t0“sweet corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin increased photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm) in all genotypes.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- all genotypese0
- Treatment
- melatonine0
- Outcome
- photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“In addition, melatonin increased photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm) in all genotypes with 27% increase in Royalty and improved quantum yield across all genotypes, regardless of the water deficit level.”
t0“sweet corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin increase photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm) in Royalty by 27%.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- Royaltye0
- Treatment
- melatonine0
- Outcome
- photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm)e0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 27%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“In addition, melatonin increased photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm) in all genotypes with 27% increase in Royalty and improved quantum yield across all genotypes, regardless of the water deficit level.”
t0“sweet corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin improved quantum yield in all genotypes.
- Taxon
- sweet cornt0
- Material
- all genotypese0
- Treatment
- melatonine0
- Outcome
- quantum yielde0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“In addition, melatonin increased photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm) in all genotypes with 27% increase in Royalty and improved quantum yield across all genotypes, regardless of the water deficit level.”
t0“sweet corn”
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