Title : Drought response of Thymus zygis ssp. gracilis pre - exposed to high - intensity light pre - treatment
Abstract:
Global concern regarding climate change is prompting the development of strategies to enhance the resistance of plants to abiotic stresses. Drought is one of the main threats to the productivity of rainfed crops, among them, the important aromatic and medicinal plant Thymus zygis ssp. gracilis. Plants under stressful conditions may generate a “memory” that allows them to cope with stress more effectively in the future. Thus, this study aimed to determine whether the pre-treatment of thyme with high-intensity light- emitting diode (Led) light (light priming) could enhance its physiological response and activation of its antioxidant defense system to subsequent severe drought. To that end, physiological parameters including relative water content, proline and abscisic acid levels, photosynthetic pigment and tocochromanol content, phenolic profiles, antioxidant capacity, and lipid peroxidation were quantified using 1600 clones from 20 ecotypes. Results confirmed the positive effect of light priming, this treatment improving the antioxidant system response in around 70% of the red thyme ecotypes studied. Specifically, light priming was associated with a smaller reduction in the content of photosynthetic pigments and tocochromanols, higher caffeic acid dimethyl ether content, and reduced lipid peroxidation in response to drought. In conclusion, light priming may generate a “memory” that helps thyme cope better with subsequent oxidative stress.
Audience Takeaway:
- Led light priming is a cost-effective way to enhance the quality of crops, and specifically, our research indicates that this tool could be used to obtain drought-resistant varieties.
- Since Led light technology is easy to handle and widely accessible, it could be a useful additional tool for the development of several crops, especially for harnessing plants’ valuable intrinsic characteristics.
List all other benefits:
- Aromatic and medicinal plants are important crops globally, owing to their usefulness and economic value.
- Thymus zygis is one such species that has numerous applications in a variety of fields from the cosmetics and perfume industries to medicine.
- Our research has focused on improving this species’ drought tolerance, and we have achieved significant progress using Led light priming.
