Effect of water deficit on maize seeds (Zea mays L.) during germination

M. Kolesnikov¹, T. Gerasko¹, Yu. Paschenko¹, L. Pokoptseva¹, O. Onyschenko¹ and A. Kolesnikova²*

¹Dmytro Motornyi Tavria State Agrotechnological University, Agrotechnology and Ecology Faculty, Department of crop production and horticulture, 226 Soborny Avenue, UA69006 Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
²Charles University, Ovocný trh 560/5, CZ11636 Prague 1, Czech Republic
*Correspondence: maksym.kolesnikov@tsatu.edu.ua

Abstract:

Global climate changes cause the frequent recurrence of droughts, which reduce crop production more than any other environmental factor. This study was conducted to access the effect of water deficit on maize seeds (Zea mays L.) DKC 5143 hybrid during germination. The tasks were to assess the influence of different rank of osmotic stress on the maize lipid peroxidation (LPO), proline content, catalase and aminotransferases activities, and morphometric parameters during the early stages of maize seeds germination. The maize seeds were exposed to five levels of water availability which produced by PEG-1500 solutions (0, 20, 50, 100, 200 g L^‑1). Seeds of maize were germinated on Petri dishes for 7 days under controlled parameters. Amounts of TBARS were increased in maize sprouted seeds by 1.9 times, coleoptiles by 1.4 times, and in roots – by 1.9 times under water deficit. Proline content increased by 9.2 times in coleoptiles and by 6.0 times in 7 days maize roots while PEG-1500 (200 g L^–1) treatment. An increasing of catalase (CAT), aminotransferases (ALT, AST) activities according to osmotic potential value was also observed. A remarkable development of maize oxidative reaction was associated with a significant reduction in emergence, wet weight and length of water-stressed plants. These results assume that the maize adaptive strategy to osmotic stress during germination was found in the activation of LPO and antioxidant components. The findings provide useful help for correcting the stress state of maize using osmotically active regulators.

Key words:

aminotransferases, catalase, drought, germination, lipid peroxidation, maize, osmotic stress, proline

Enzymatic activity of podzolized chernozem contaminated by pollutants during its detoxification

O. Chernikova¹,*, Yu. Mazhayskiy¹ and L. Ampleeva²

¹Academy of law management of the federal penal service of Russia, Sennaya street 1, RU390036 Ryazan, Russia
²Ryazan State Agrotechnological University named after P.A. Kostychev, Kostychev
street 1, RU390044 Ryazan, Russia

Abstract:

The soil is an indicator of the general technogenic situation. In terms of the scale of pollution, as well as the impact on biological objects, heavy metals occupy a special place among pollutants. One of the priority pollutants are Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu. In assessing the ecological state of the environment, the study of the soil cover plays an important role. The most informative integral characteristics of the biological activity of the soil is the activity of soil enzymes. In a lysimetric experiment with podzolized chernozem, we studied the change in the biological activity of soil in terms of dehydrogenase, catalase, urease, invertase and phosphatase enzymatic activity under the complex influence of heavy metals under conditions of the use of detoxification agents. The soil at the experimental site had the following characteristics: pHKCl 6.2; humus content – 3.2%, P₂O₅-229 mg kg-1, K₂O-250 mg kg^-1of soil. Organic and mineral fertilizers in various combinations were used as detoxifiers. According to the obtained data, the redox enzyme – dehydrogenase and hydrolytic enzymes urease and phosphatase are the most sensitive to soil pollution. The best decontamination effect is obtained when using a system of organo-mineral fertilizers, what contributes to an increase in the activity of soil urease by 3.38 times, invertase – by 2.47 times, phosphatase – by 1.48 times, dehydrogenase – by 1.46 times, catalase – by 1.60 times. Changes in the activity of these enzymes can be used to diagnose the effectiveness of the use of various fertilizer systems on soil contaminated by heavy metals.

Key words: