Abstract
Abstract This research examined the role of thiourea (TU) in alleviating the adverse effects of heavy metal stress on the growth and physiological traits of wheat, cv. Azar 2 under greenhouse conditions. The pots were contaminated with metal plant smelting waste. Thiourea was also applied by two methods: seed priming and foliar spraying. Thiourea treatments were applied at seven levels, which included no application of TU, seed priming at concentrations of 500, 1000, and 1500 mg L −1 , and foliar spraying at tillering stage at the same concentrations. Soil contamination with heavy metals has detrimental effects on plant functions. Under contamination conditions, the first day of seedling emergence was delayed (157%), and emergence percent (42.4%), survived seedling (24.4%), seedling’s leaf area (53.6%) and number (43.8%) and its dry weight (36.2%) decreased significantly compared to non-contaminated soil. In contrast, seed priming with TU, especially at concentrations of 1000 and 1500 mg L −1 , increased seedling function and performance. Heavy metal stress also caused damage to the plant at the pre-stem elongation stage. Under stress conditions, total soluble sugars (28.6%), proline content (174.7%), electrolyte leakage(169.6%), leaf temperature (205.9%), root density (53.1%), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) (229.5%) concentration were increased; while the relative water content (23.9%), leaf area (47.1%), plant tissues dry weight, root volume (14.3%), photosynthetic pigments and chlorophyll stability index (52.0%), nitrogen (N) (37.9%), phosphorus (P) (53.0%) and potassium (K) (56.4%) content decreased. Similar to seedling stage, the higher concentrations of TU had more effects on plant functions than 500 mg L −1 . In most of the measured traits, foliar spraying showed better effects than to priming method. Surprisingly, root dry weight and volume had higher values with 500 mg L −1 treatment compared to higher concentrations of TU. Also, seed priming was more effective than foliar spraying for these two traits. It seems that treatments that caused more aerial development had fewer effects on the development of the underground part. Therefore, different concentrations of TU changed the photoassimilates allocation. The application of TU enhanced mineral nutrition both under stressed and non-stressed conditions, while decreasing heavy metal content in treated plants. This effect was noticeable for Zn content. The Zn content was increased by TU application with both methods under non-stress conditions, while decreased under stress conditions compared to non- application of TU treatment. Overall, thiourea (TU) enhanced wheat resistance to stress by regulating nutrient uptake and improving physiological characteristics. Our data showed that the higher concentrations of TU, especially 1000 mg L −1 and by foliar spraying method, are more effective than other concentrations and seed priming method. In addition, the results show that thiourea is a compound that, at different concentrations, has multiple effects on plant physiological performance and allometric relationships. These effects can be observed by changing the partitioning of photoassimilates into root and aerial parts, regulating the accumulation of essential elements and heavy metals in leaves, and changing the density and volume of roots. Ultimately, this research concluded that the application of TU as a growth regulator can be an effective strategy for improving wheat's resistance to heavy metal stress and increasing crop quality in contaminated soils. These findings will help farmers and researchers find better ways to address the challenges posed by heavy metal contamination in wheat and other field crops.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Metal contamination delayed wheat seedling emergence by 157%.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivumt0 - Treatment
- contamination conditionse0
- Outcome
- first day of seedling emergencee0
- Direction
- delayede0
- Value
- 157%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under contamination conditions, the first day of seedling emergence was delayed (157%)”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Metal contamination significantly reduced wheat emergence, survival, leaf traits and dry weight.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- contaminatione1
- Outcome
- emergence percente0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 42.4%e0
- Comparator
- non-contaminated soile0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“emergence percent (42.4%), survived seedling (24.4%), seedling’s leaf area (53.6%) and number (43.8%) and its dry weight (36.2%) decreased significantly compared to non-contaminated soil”
t0“Wheat”
e1“Under contamination conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Thiourea seed priming at 1000 and 1500 mg L −1 improved wheat seedling performance.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- seed priming with TU, especially at concentrations of 1000 and 1500 mg L −1e0
- Outcome
- seedling function and performancee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“seed priming with TU, especially at concentrations of 1000 and 1500 mg L −1 , increased seedling function and performance”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Under heavy metal stress, wheat soluble sugars, proline, electrolyte leakage, leaf temperature and root density increased.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- stress conditionse0
- Outcome
- total soluble sugarse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 28.6%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under stress conditions, total soluble sugars (28.6%), proline content (174.7%), electrolyte leakage(169.6%), leaf temperature (205.9%), root density (53.1%), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) (229.5%) concentration were increased”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Under stress, wheat relative water content, leaf area, dry weight, root volume, pigments and nutrient contents declined.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- relative water contente0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 23.9%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“while the relative water content (23.9%), leaf area (47.1%), plant tissues dry weight, root volume (14.3%), photosynthetic pigments and chlorophyll stability index (52.0%), nitrogen (N) (37.9%), phosphorus (P) (53.0%) and potassium (K) (56.4%) content decreased”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar thiourea generally benefited wheat traits more than seed priming.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- foliar sprayinge0
- Outcome
- measured traitse0
- Direction
- better effectse0
- Comparator
- priming methode0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In most of the measured traits, foliar spraying showed better effects than to priming method”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat root dry weight and volume were higher with 500 mg L −1 thiourea than at higher doses.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- 500 mg L −1 treatmente0
- Outcome
- root dry weight and volumee0
- Direction
- higher valuese0
- Comparator
- higher concentrations of TUe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“root dry weight and volume had higher values with 500 mg L −1 treatment compared to higher concentrations of TU”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Seed priming outperformed foliar spraying for wheat root dry weight and volume.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- seed priminge0
- Outcome
- these two traitse0
- Direction
- more effectivee0
- Comparator
- foliar sprayinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Also, seed priming was more effective than foliar spraying for these two traits”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Thiourea improved wheat mineral nutrition under both stress conditions.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- TUe0
- Outcome
- mineral nutritione0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Qualifier
- both under stressed and non-stressed conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The application of TU enhanced mineral nutrition both under stressed and non-stressed conditions”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Thiourea lowered heavy metal content in treated wheat.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- TUe1
- Outcome
- heavy metal contente0
- Direction
- decreasinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“while decreasing heavy metal content in treated plants”
t0“Wheat”
e1“The application of TU enhanced mineral nutrition”
Claim · model-written summary
Thiourea raised wheat zinc content without metal stress and reduced it under stress.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- TU applicatione0
- Outcome
- Zn contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- under non-stress conditionse0
- Comparator
- non- application of TU treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The Zn content was increased by TU application with both methods under non-stress conditions, while decreased under stress conditions compared to non- application of TU treatment”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Thiourea, especially 1000 mg L −1 foliar application, is recommended to improve wheat resistance and quality in contaminated soil.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- TUe0
- Outcome
- improving wheat's resistance to heavy metal stress and increasing crop quality in contaminated soilse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the application of TU as a growth regulator can be an effective strategy for improving wheat's resistance to heavy metal stress and increasing crop quality in contaminated soils”
The same questions in other papers
thiourea · nutrient: content · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Results agree
2 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.