Research Articles (Biotechnology)

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Browsing by Subject "Abiotic stress"

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    Drought and salinity stress alters ROS accumulation, water retention, and osmolyte content in sorghum plants
    (Elsevier, 2017) Nxele, Xolisa; Klein, Ashwil; Ndimba, Bongani Kaiser
    biotic stresses such as drought and salinity are major environmental factors that influence crop productivity worldwide. These adverse conditions induce osmotic stresses in plant cells by decreasing water availability, thus leading to loss of cell turgor and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are detrimental to plant growth and development. To survive such harsh environmental conditions, plants must initiate intracel- lular and physiological signaling networks to rapidly respond and efficiently neutralize these stresses. Inefficient scavenging of ROS would lead to increased levels of cell death, thus inhibiting plant growth and reducing crop productivity. This study investigates the effect of drought and salinity stress on plant growth, water retention, oxidative damage, chlorophyll content, and proline accumulation in sorghum plants. Plant growth, biomass, and leaf chlorophyll were significantly reduced whereas the total proline content was enhanced in response to stress conditions. The significant increase in hydrogen peroxide content as a consequence of stress conditions resulted in augmented levels of lipid peroxidation, which was manifested as extensive cell death and biomass reduction.
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    Green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles mitigate salt stress in sorghum bicolor
    (MDPI, 2022) Rakgotho, Tessia; Ndou, Nzumbululo; Mulaudzi, Takalani
    Salinity is an abiotic stress that is responsible for more than 50% of crop losses worldwide. Current strategies to overcome salinity in agriculture are limited to the use of genetically modified crops and chemicals including fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides; however these are costly and can be hazardous to human health and the environment. Green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is an eco-friendly and cost-effective method, and they might serve as novel biostimulants. This study investigated for the first time the efficiency of ZnO NPs, synthesized from Agathosma betulina to mitigate salt stress in Sorghum bicolor. Hexagonal wurtzite ZnO NPs of about 27.5 nm, were obtained. Sorghum seeds were primed with ZnO NPs (5 and 10 mg/L), prior to planting on potting soil and treatment with high salt (400 mM NaCl).