Exogenous application of nitrogen and cytokinin on growth, carbohydrate, andantioxidant metabolism ofcreeping bentgrass after de-submergence

Abstract

Recovery from submergence stress is vital for plant regrowth. The objective of this study was to characterize plant growth, carbohydrate, and antioxidant metabolism of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) to foliar application of nitrogen and cytokinin (CK) after de-submergence. Creeping bentgrass (cv. Penncross and 007) were submerged under the water for 14 days and then foliar-sprayed at 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 days after desubmergence with six types of chemical treatments, respectively: 1) water (W); 2) 10 µM urea (N10); 3) 20µM urea (N20); 4) 10 µM CK; 5) N10 with CK (N10CK); and 6) N20 with CK (N20CK). Leaves were harvested at 20 days after chemical applications for various measurements. Compared with the nonstressed plants, plant height (HT), chlorophyll index (Chl), leaf dry weight (DW), water-soluble carbohydrate content (WSC), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) decreased, but catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA), and total soluble protein (TSP) content increased in both cultivars exposed to 14 days of submergence. After desubmergence, plants treated with N alone (N10, N20) or combined with CK (N10CK, N20CK) generally had higher HT, DW, Chl, TSP, and a lower amount ofMDA, compared with treatments of W or CK alone, whereas treatment using CK resulted in higher WSC for both cultivars. Foliar applications of N and CK had some effect on SOD, CAT, POD, and APX activities after de-submergence, but the effects were not consistent across chemicals and cultivars. The results indicated that foliar application of N or combinedwith CK promoted plant growth and reduced lipid peroxidation after de-submergence. The results also suggested a more positive role of foliar N application in comparison with a complex regulation of CK on creeping bentgrass regrowth after de-submergence.