Plant growth under water/salt stress: ROS production; antioxidants and significance of added potassium under such conditions

Abstract

Plants are confronted with a variety of environmenmtal stresses resulting in enhanced production of ROS. Plants require a threshold level of ROS for vital functions and any change in their concentration alters the entire physiology of plant. Delicate balance of ROS is maintained by an efficient functioning of intriguing indigenous defence system called antioxidant system comprising enzymatic and non enzymatic components. Down regulation of antioxidant system leads to ROS induced oxidative stress causing damage to important cellular structures and hence anomalies in metabolism. Proper mineral nutrition, in addition to other agricultural practices, forms an important part for growth and hence the yield. Potassium (K) is a key macro-element regulating growth and development through alterations in physiological and biochemical attributes. K has been reported to result into accumulation of osmolytes and augmentation of antioxidant components in the plants exposed to water and salt stress. In the present review an effort has been made to revisit the old findings and the current advances in research regarding the role of optimal, suboptimal and deficient K soil status on growth under normal and stressful conditions. Effect of K deficiency and sufficiency is discussed and the information about the K mediated antioxidant regulation and plant response is highlighted.

Keywords: Antioxidants; Osmolytes; Polyphenols; Potassium; ROS; Stress amelioration.

Fig. 1

Fow chart indicating stress-induced changes and associated tolerance mechanisms in plants

Fig. 2

Stress induced changes in metabolism as influenced by potassium. Potassium can regulate the plant growth by reducing the ROS generation and strengthening the antioxidant metabolism and the accumulation of osmolytes (arrows indicate positive or negative regulation and dotted lines indicate possible regulation)