The effect of humic acid application on Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) growth and metabolites under drought stress

Subject Areas : Stress Physiology

Ameneh  Zamani ¹ (Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.)
Mojtaba  Karimi ² (Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran)
Ali  Abbasi-surki ³ (Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.)
Fatemeh  Direkvand-moghadam ⁴ (Central Lab, Ramin Agricultural and Natural Resources University, Ahvaz, Iran.)

Received: 2020-08-25 Accepted : 2021-06-13 Published : 2021-04-01

Keywords: Stevia, leaf yield, Stevioside, Rebaudioside A, Steviol glycosides,

Abstract :

< p>The soil water limitation is a relevant abiotic stress that affects the plants life. In this respect, adoption an efficient strategy may improve the plant growth during this stress. The present study was conducted in order to find the likely useful effect of the humic acid (HA) on Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) in a pot trial, especially under drought stress condition. Therefore, five levels of humic acid (0, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 mg.kg-1 of soil) were applied in the soil containing Stevia seedling under normal (well-watered) and drought stress condition (resulted from 10-days irrigation intervals), based on a factorial experiment with three replications. Drought stress significantly reduced the Stevia leaf production and steviol glycosides (SVglys) content and compositions. Stevioside (Stev) and Rebaudioside A (Reb A) contents were significantly decreased by drought stress and all concentrations of HA. On the other hand, HA (in concentration more than 1.5 mg.kg-1 of soil) strongly increased the leaf production in Stevia and resulted in a significant increase of the SVglys yield (44% in comparison with no HA). Results clearly demonstrated that although HA showed an inhibitory effect for SVglys content in Stevia leaf, it can increase the SVglys yield through a remarkable increase in leaf growth in Stevia, especially under drought stress condition.

References:

Alenazi, M., M. A. Wahb-Allah, H. S. Abdel-Razzak, A. A. Ibrahim, and A. Alsadon. 2016. 'Water regimes and humic acid application influences potato growth, yield, tuber quality and water use efficiency'. American journal of potato research, 93 (5):463-473.

Aso, S., and I. Sakai. 1963. 'Studies on the Physiological Effects of Humic Acid (Part 1) Uptake of humic acid by crop plants and its physiological effects'. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 9 (3):1-7.

Barbet-Massin, C., S. Giuliano, L. Alletto, J. Dayde, and M. Berger. 2015. 'Nitrogen limitation alters biomass production but enhances steviol glycoside concentration in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni'. PloS one, 10 (7).

Ceunen, S., and J. M. Geuns. 2013. 'Steviol glycosides: chemical diversity, metabolism, and function'. Journal of natural products, 76 (6):1201-1228.

Chatsudthipong, V., and C. Muanprasat. 2009. 'Stevioside and related compounds: therapeutic benefits beyond sweetness'. Pharmacology & therapeutics, 121 (1):41-54.

Cooper, R., C. Liu, and D. Fisher. 1998. 'Influence of humic substances on rooting and nutrient content of creeping bentgrass'. Crop Science, 38 (6):1639-1644.

Delfine, S., R. Tognetti, E. Desiderio, and A. Alvino. 2005. 'Effect of foliar application of N and humic acids on growth and yield of durum wheat'. Agronomy for sustainable Development, 25(2):183-191

Ezzat, A., A. El-Aziz, G. Merfet, and S. Ashour. 2015. 'Neutralization of drought stress and improving growth, water status, yield and quality of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) using compost, humic acid and superabsorbent polymer'. Journal of Plant Production, 6 (12):2123-2143.

García, A. C., R. L. L. Berbara, L. P. Farías, F. G. Izquierdo, O. L. Hernández, R. H. Campos, and R. N. Castro. 2012. 'Humic acids of vermicompost as an ecological pathway to increase resistance of rice seedlings to water stress'. African Journal of Biotechnology, 11 (13):3125-3134.

Gupta, P., S. Sharma, and S. Saxena. 2015. 'Biomass yield and steviol glycoside production in callus and suspension culture of Stevia rebaudiana treated with proline and polyethylene glycol'. Applied biochemistry and biotechnology, 176 (3):863-874.

Haider, G., H.-W. Koyro, F. Azam, D. Steffens, C. Müller, and C. Kammann. 2015. 'Biochar but not humic acid product amendment affected maize yields via improving plant-soil moisture relations'. Plant and soil, 395 (1-2):141-157.

Jannin, L., M. Arkoun, A. Ourry, P. Laîné, D. Goux, M. Garnica, M. Fuentes, S. San Francisco, R. Baigorri, and F. Cruz. 2012. 'Microarray analysis of humic acid effects on Brassica napus growth: involvement of N, C and S metabolisms'. Plant and soil, 359 (1-2):297-319.

Kakhki, S. F. F., M. Goldani, and A. G. Arian. 2019. 'Evaluation response of photosynthesis of stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Var. Bertoni) to potassium humate and photoperiod'. Indian Journal of Agricultural Research, 53 (3):348-352.

Karimi, M., A. Ahmadi, J. Hashemi, A. Abbasi, S. Tavarini, A. Pompeiano, L. Guglielminetti, and L. Angelini. 2019. 'Plant growth retardants (PGRs) affect growth and secondary metabolite biosynthesis in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni under drought stress'. South African Journal of Botany, 121:394-401.

Karimi, M., A. Ahmadi, J. Hashemi, A. Abbasi, S. Tavarini, A. Pompeiano, L. Guglielminetti, and L. G. Angelini. 2016. 'The positive role of steviol glycosides in stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) under drought stress condition'. Plant Biosystems, 150 (6):1323-1331.

Khorasaninejad, S., A. Alizadeh Ahmadabadi, and K. Hemmati. 2018. 'The effect of humic acid on leaf morphophysiological and phytochemical properties of Echinacea purpurea L. under water deficit stress'. Scientia Horticulturae, 239:314-323.

Kinghora, A. D., D. D. Soejarto, and G. E. Inglett. 1986. 'Sweetening agents of plant origin'. Critical reviews in plant sciences, 4 (2):79-120.

Liu, C., and R. J. Cooper. 2000. 'Humic substances influence creeping bentgrass growth'. Carbon, 54 (59):41-51.

Mackowiak, C., P. Grossl, and B. Bugbee. 2001. 'Beneficial effects of humic acid on micronutrient availability to wheat'. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 65 (6):1744-1750.

Malik, K. A., and F. Azam. 1985. 'Effect of humic acid on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedling growth'. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 25 (3):245-252.

Mayhew, L. 2004. 'Humic substances in biological agriculture'. ACRES, 34 (1-2):80-88.

Nardi, S., D. Pizzeghello, C. Gessa, L. Ferrarese, and L. Trainotti. 2000. 'A low molecular weight humic fraction on nitrate uptake and protein synthesis in maize seedlings'. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 32 (3):415-419.

Nardi, S., D. Pizzeghello, A. Muscolo, and A. Vianello. 2002. 'Physiological effects of humic substances on higher plants'. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 34 (11):1527-1536.

Nikbakht, A., M. Kafi, M. Babalar, Y. P. Xia, A. Luo, and N.-a. Etemadi. 2008. 'Effect of humic acid on plant growth, nutrient uptake, and postharvest life of gerbera'. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 31 (12):2155-2167.

Osman, A. S., and M. S. Ewees. 2008. 'The possible use of humic acid incorporated with drip irrigation system to alleviate the harmful effects of saline water on tomato plants'. Fayoum Journal of Agricultural Research and Development, 22:52-70.

Pandey, M., and S. Chikara. 2015. 'Effect of salinity and drought stress on growth parameters, glycoside content and expression level of vital genes in steviol glycosides biosynthesis pathway of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni)'. International Journal of Genetics, ISSN:0975-2862.

Rady, M., T. A. El-Mageed, H. Abdurrahman, and A. Mahdi. 2016. 'Humic acid application improves field performance of cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) under saline conditions'. The Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences, 26 (2):487-493.

Rasaei, B., M.-E. Ghobadi, M. Ghobadi, and A. Najaphy. 2013. 'Reducing effects of drought stress by application of humic acid, Mycorrhiza and Rhizobium on chickpea'. International Journal of Agriculture and Crop Sciences (IJACS), 5 (16):1775-1778.

Rashwan, B. R., R. M. Abd-El Raouf, N. R. Ahmed, and H. Ferweez. 2017. 'Efficacy of K-Humate, Compost and Biofertilizer Application as Well as Cutting Number on Yield and Quality of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) as Natural Sweetener.' Assiut Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 48: 251-268.

Ren, G. X., and Y. Shi. 2012. The effects of drought stress on the photosynthetic parameters and dry leaf yield of Stevia rebaudina Bertoni. Advanced Materials Research, 518-523: 4786-4789

Srivastava, S., and M. Srivastava. 2014. 'Morphological changes and antioxidant activity of Stevia rebaudiana under water stress'. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 5 (22):3417-3422.

Tejada, M., and J. Gonzalez. 2004. 'Effects of foliar application of a byproduct of the two-step olive oil mill process on rice yield'. European journal of agronomy, 21 (1):31-40.

Vaughan, D., and R. Malcolm. 1985. 'Influence of humic substances on growth and physiological processes'. In Soil organic matter and biological activity, 37-75: Springer.

Yang, Y., S. Huang, Y. Han, H. Yuan, C. Gu, and Z. Wang. 2015. 'Environmental cues induce changes of steviol glycosides contents and transcription of corresponding biosynthetic genes in Stevia rebaudiana'. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 86:174-180.

Zhang, X., and E. Ervin. 2004. 'Cytokinin-containing seaweed and humic acid extracts associated with creeping bentgrass leaf cytokinins and drought resistance'. Crop science, 44 (5):1737-1745.

Zhang, X., E. Ervin, G. Evanylo, C. Sherony, and C. Peot. 2005. 'Biosolids impact on tall fescue drought resistance'. Journal of Residuals Science and Technology, 2:173-180.