Supplemental Nitrogen-Amendment Might Mitigate Higher Ozone Stress on Okra Plants (Abelmoschus Esculentus (L.) Moench) at Juvenile Stage
摘要
Rising Ozone (O3) concentrations in agricultural areas have been identified as a significant threat to Asian crop production, including India. This study investigated whether recommended NPK (control) and 1.5 times N fertilizer can potentially maintain Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) growth and development under O3 stress under in-vitro conditions. We analyzed trends of chlorophyll (chl-A and chl-B), protein, amino acid content, enzymatic (such as ascorbic acid and proline) and non-enzymatic antioxidants (such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and malondialdehyde) growth-related parameters, and total biomass production of the Okra plant. O3 stress reduced plant growth-related parameters, biomass production, and lateral root and leaf numbers. The O3-stressed plants showed decline in the contents of chl-A (0.1 μg/gm) and chl-B (0.35 μg/gm), protein (0.88 μg/gm), amino acid (16.42 μg/gm), and pH (6.1). On the contrary, the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants enzymatic activity increased. The application of recommended NPK plus 1.5 times N (1.5 N + O3) reduced the impact of O3 and maintained plants’ higher growth and physiochemical traits. The 1.5 N-treated plants under O3 stress conditions maintained higher chlorophyll, proteins, and enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities over the control treatment. These results suggest that 1.5 times N with the recommended NPK can sustain growth and development of Okra under O3 stress by maintaining physiochemical activities.