Research article

COMBINED EFFECTS OF EXOGENOUS APPLICATION OF BRASSINOSTEROIDS (BRS) AND SUCROSE MITIGATES CADMIUM STRESS IN EUCALYPTUS TERETICORNIS SEEDLINGS

Suraj Varma, Darpreet Kaur*, Vikram Singh and Ankit

Online First: December 30, 2022


An experiment was carried out in green house with the aim of investigating the effect of cadmium stress on physiological characters and also to establish the effective combination of BRs and sucrose to combat these stresses at juvenile stage of Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. [P-23 clones] seedlings. The clonal seedlings were planted in pots in nursery containing sand and soil in 2:1 proportion. Three months old potted seedlings were subjected to cadmium stress through application of different cadmium levels (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 ppm). The different levels of brassinosteroids (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 ppm) and sucrose (0, 1, 3 and 5% (w/v) were applied to the seedlings. At various levels of cadmium stress; chlorophyll, carotenoid content, RWC and TSP values increased with the exogenous application of the BRs and sucrose, but the combination of BRs (20 ppm) and Su (5 ppm) resulted in overcoming the serious negative effects that could happen to plants under cadmium stress as indicated under control. Though, the ameliorative effects in lipid peroxidation, RSI, ROS and H2O2 content under the stress (Cd) were seen at all levels of exogenous application of the BRs and sucrose, but the maximum protection was found at the interaction of BRs (20 ppm) & Su (5 ppm). Maximum decrease in cadmium uptake in roots, stem and leaf was found with application of (BRs 20 × Su 5) ppm. Results suggest that exogenous application of BRs alone in stressed (Cd stress) condition protected the eucalyptus seedlings in better way when compared with Su exogenous application.

Keywords

Cadmium stress, Chlorophyll, Carotenoid, RWC, BRs, Sucrose and Oxidative stress