Paclobutrazol-mediated improvement of brown spot resistance in rice seedlings under salinity stress conditions
摘要
The damage to yield by Brown spot (BSD), a rice disease triggered by the fungal pathogen Bipolaris oryzae, increases under salinity stress due to weakened plant defenses, making rice seedlings (cv. Sakha 177) more susceptible to infection. This study evaluated the antifungal activity of paclobutrazol (PBZ) at concentrations of (0, 0.75, 1.5, 3, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200 mg/L) in vitro, revealing that higher PBZ concentrations more effectively inhibited fungal growth. However, PBZ led to higher B. oryzae sporulation rates. In vivo experiments demonstrated that salinity stress at 2000 and 4000 ppm disrupted membrane stability, nutrient content (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) percentage), and increased BSD severity. Foliar application of PBZ at 100 mg/L mitigated electrolyte leakage, enhanced proline accumulation, improved nutrient content (N, P, K%), and reduced BSD disease severity under saline conditions. These results indicate that PBZ at 100 mg/L is a promising strategy for controlling BSD and enhancing resistance in rice seedlings under salinity stress.