Loading...

Research on Crops

Improving tolerance to drought stress in wheat through physiological stimulation of seeds



DOI: 10.31830/2348-7542.2026.ROC-1289    | Article Id: ROC-1289 | Page : 43-52
Citation :- Improving tolerance to drought stress in wheat through physiological stimulation of seeds. Res. Crop. 27: 43-52
AL-KHAFAJI MUSTAFA J., BADAY, S. J. S., ALWAN, A. L. AND JASIM A. M. mustafa@coagri.uobaghdad.edu.iq
Address : Department of Field Crops, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
Submitted Date : 25-01-2026
Accepted Date : 10-02-2026
Online Published:

Abstract

Desert wheat’s global importance and expended cultivation in Iraq seed germination and early vigour remain highly sensitive to environmental stress, seed quality and nutrient arability limited understanding of the combine effect of gibberellins, nano zinc and Trichoderma extract, constrain strategies to enhance germination, stress tolerance and sustainable productivity. Therefor this research aims to determine the effectiveness of gibberellins, Trichoderma extract, and zinc oxide nanoparticles in increasing plant tolerance to drought stress. The study comprised two experiments; the first was a field experiment using the following treatments: seeds soaked for 12 hours in gibberellins at a concentration of 1 g/L, Trichoderma extract at a concentration of 1 ml/L, and zinc oxide nanoparticles at a concentration of 1 g/L. Four treatment replications were performed, and the seeds were sown in soil supplemented with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) at levels of 0 and 6 g/L for two growing seasons (spring and autumn). The second experiment was a laboratory experiment using the same treatments and replications for wheat seeds. The results revealed that the grain yield reached 6.8 and 7.4 t/ha, with dry plant weights of 169.1 and 175.3 g, 1000-grain weights of 49.1 and 52.4 g, and relative growth rates of 5.1 and 6.2 g/day for plants grown in soil containing 0 and 6 grams of polyethylene glycol, respectively. The stress tolerance index was 3.444, and the accumulation rates of catalase were 4.11 and 5.28 unit/min/g, peroxidase 5.32 and 5.23 unit/min/g, carbohydrates 34.7 and 37.8 mg/g, and proline 30.1 and 33.5 µg/g in seeds treated with a mixture of gibberellins, Trichoderma extract, and zinc nanoparticles, which were grown in soil containing 0 and 6 grams of PEG, respectively, compared to the control treatment which recorded lower rates for the same traits. The results of the laboratory experiment showed that treating the seeds with a mixture of gibberellins, zinc oxide nanoparticles and Trichoderma extract led to a clear increase in the percentage of the first and final count by 98.3% for each, in feather length and dry radicle weight by 6.1 and 12.9 cm, and 5.4 and 11.0 mg respectively, and in seedling viability by 1867. This confirms the importance of adding all treatments to improve wheat's tolerance to drought, especially in the autumn.

Keywords

Crops physiology fungai extract GA3 nano-zinc Trichoderma

References

Abro, A., Akher, S., Memon, S., Huda, M., Abro, A., Naznin, S. and Jahan, T. (2021). Influence of polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) generate osmotic stress on seed germination of different wheat (triticum aestivum L.) genotypes. Gorteria 34. 28-36.
Agbna, G. H. D. and Zaidi, S.J. (2025). Hydrogel performance in boosting plant resilience to water stress—A review. Gels 11: doi:10.3390/gels11040276.
Alavifard, S. D., Taghvaei, M. and Naderi, R. (2025). Enhancing rapeseed germination by nano zinc oxide and zinc sulfate particles under interrupted irrigation. Sci Rep.  16: doi:10.1038/ s41598-025-31616-8.
Al-Badri, M., Rasheed, A. and Ahmed, S. (2021). Effect of the seed priming and duration on the seed germination and seedling vigor of sunflower crop. Plant Arch. 21: 1122-27. doi:10.51470/ Plant archives. v21.S1.175.
Al-Harbi, H. F., Awad, M. A., Ortashi, K. M. O., AL-Humaid, L. A., Ibrahim, A. A. and Al-Huqail, A. A. (2025). Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles: physicochemical characterization, photocatalytic performance, and evaluation of their impact on seed germination parameters in crops. Catalysts 15: doi:10.3390/catal15100924.
Anghla, L. C., Rehan, D. S. and Maroof, S.  (2025). Assessment of seed priming for mitigating abiotic stress and improving growth of horticultural crops: a review. Discov. Appl. Sci. 7: doi:10.1007/s42452-025-08054-2.
Dayan, J., Voronin, N., Gong, F., Sun, T. P., Hedden, P., Fromm, H. and Aloni, R. (2012). Leaf-induced gibberellin signaling is essential for internode elongation, cambial activity, and fiber differentiation in tobacco stems. Plant Cell. 24: 66-79. doi:10.1105/tpc.111.093096.
de Freitas, E. M., Gomes, C. N., da Silva, L. J. and Cunha da, F. F. (2024). Germination performance of Physalis peruviana L. seeds under thermal and water stress conditions. Agronomy 14: doi:10.3390/agronomy14061213.
Du, G., Zhang, H., Yang, Y., Zhao, Y., Tang, and Liu, K. (2022). Effects of gibberellin pre-treatment on seed germination and seedling physiology characteristics in industrial hemp under drought stress condition. Life 12: doi:10.3390/life12111907.
Ernst, D., Kolenčík, M., Kupec, M., Šebesta, M., Qian, Y., Straka, V., Černý, I., Soulange, J.G. and Ducsay, L. (2024). Effects of zinc oxide and zinc–silica-based nanofertilizers with yeasts on selected components of soybean in the Central European agronomic region: a short-term study. Agronomy 14: doi:10.3390/agronomy14092138.
Errabii, T. J. G., Benard, C. H., Essalmani, M., Idaomar, and Skali-Senhaji, N. (2007). Growth, proline and ion accumulation in sugarcane callus cultures under drought-induced osmotic stress and its subsequent relief. Afr. J. Biotechnol. 5: 1488-93.
Ezaddin, N. and Salih, R. (2023). Cultivated natural fiber crops in Iraq and their uses: a review. Passer J. Basic Appl. Sci.  5: 191-201. doi:10.24271/PSR.2023.387490.1265.
Farooq, M. A., Ma, W., Shen, S. and Gu A. (2022). Underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms for seed germination. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 23: doi:10.3390/ijms23158502.
Farshadfar, E., Jamshidi, B. and Mandana, C. (2014). Assessment of immature embryo culture to select for drought tolerance in bread wheat. Int. J. Biosci. 4: 194-03. doi:10.12692/ijb/4.4.194-203.
Feng, D., Liu, W., Chen, K., Ning, S., Gao, Q., Chen, J., Lium, J., Sun, X. and Xu, W. (2024). Exogenous substances used to relieve plants from drought stress and their associated underlying mechanisms. Int. J. Mol. Sci.  25. doi:10.3390/ijms25179249.
Gohar, F., Iqbal, U., Khan, M., Rehman, F., Maryam, F., Azmat, M., Munir, S., Iqbal, H. and Shahid, M. (2024). Impact of nanoparticles on plant growth, development and physiological processes: A Comprehensive Review 2024: doi:10.20944/preprints202410.0780.v1.
Gulaiya, S., Manzoor, U. and Singh S. (2025). The intersection of nanotechnology and agriculture: enhancing soil fertility and nutritional outcomes – a comprehensive review. J. Pure Appl. Microbiol. 19: 889-901. doi:10.22207/JPAM.19.2.50.
Hamzah, S. M., Usman, K., Rizwan, M., Al Jabri, H. and Alsafran, M. (2022). Functions and strategies for enhancing zinc availability in plants for sustainable agriculture. Front. Plant Sci. 13: doi:10.3389/fpls. 1033092.
Hasanović, M., Durmić-Pašić, A. and Karalija, E. (2025). Seed priming beyond stress adaptation: broadening the agronomic horizon. Agronomy 15: doi:10.3390/agronomy15081829.
Jag Mohan, Vikas Tomar And Ishwar Singh (2025). Influence of bio-stimulants on seed dressing and foliar spray on the yield characteristics and grain yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Crop Res. 60: 111-16.
Jan, R., Khan, M. A., Asaf, S., Lubna, Lee. I. J. and Kim, K. M. (2019). Metal resistant endophytic bacteria reduces cadmium, nickel toxicity, and enhances expression of metal stress related genes with improved growth of Oryza sativa, via regulating its antioxidant machinery and endogenous hormones. Plants 8: doi:10.3390/plants8100363.
Jędrzejuk, A., Kuźma, N., Orłowski, A., Budzyński, R., Gehl, C. and Serek, M. (2023). Mechanical stimulation decreases auxin and gibberellic acid synthesis but does not affect auxin transport in axillary buds; it also stimulates peroxidase activity in Petunia × Atkinsiana. Molecules 28:  doi:10.3 390/molecules 28062714.
Joshi, R. (2018). Role of enzymes in seed germination. Int. J. Creat. Res. Thoughts. 6: 1481-85.
Kaur, H., Nazir, F., Hussain, S. J., Kaur, R., Rajurkar, A. B., Kumari, S., Siddiqui, M. H., Mahajan, M., Khatoon, S. and Khan, M. I. R. (2023). Gibberellic acid alleviates cadmium-induced seed germination inhibition through modulation of carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidant capacity in mung bean Seedlings. Sustainability 15: doi:10.3390/su15043790.
Kaur, R., Chandra, J. and Keshavkant, S. (2021). Nanotechnology: an efficient approach for rejuvenation of aged seeds. Physiol. Mol. Biol. Plants 27: 399-415. doi:10.1007/s12298-021-00942-2.
Kebede, W. and Tesso, B. (2021). Principal component analysis of early generation drought tolerant tef genotypes for yield-contributing traits. Farm. Manage. 6: 15-20.
Khaeim, H., Kende, Z., Balla, I., Gyuricza, C., Eser, A. and Tarnawa, Á. (2022). The effect of temperature and water stresses on seed germination and seedling growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Sustainability 14: doi:10.3390/su14073887.
Khaleel, Z. (2023). Effectiveness of soaking with gibberellic acid and kinetin on germination and growth indicators of two cultivars of pistachio plant Pistacia vera L. IOP Conf. Series Earth  Environ. Sci.  1158: doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1158/4/042065.
Khalid, A., Hameed, A. and Tahir, M. F. (2023). Wheat quality: A review on chemical composition, nutritional attributes, grain anatomy, types, classification, and function of seed storage proteins in bread making quality. Front Nutr. 10:  doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1053196.  
Kumar, S. M., Yadav, S. and R. Choudhary. (2025). Nanopriming with zinc oxide nanoparticle boosts seed vigour, photosynthesis, osmolytes accumulation and antioxidant activity in tomato. Sci. Rep. 15: doi:10.1038/s41598-025-09269-4.
Lamidi, S., Olalere, R. and Yekinni, A. (2024). Design of experiments (doe): applications and benefits in quality control and assurance. industrial engineering and management. IntechOpen 2024: doi:10.5772/intechopen.113987.
Li, D., Luo, Y., Xue, H. and G. Sun. (2025). Estimating radicle length of germinating elm seeds via deep learning. Sensors 25: doi:10.3390/s25165024.
Ling, L., Caroline. and Sen, A. (2022). Effects of composting yard waste temperature on seed germination of a major tropical invasive weed, leucaena leucocephala. Sustainability 14:  doi:10.3390/su142013638.
Lutschak, P., Amantayev, B., Kipshakbayeva, G., Stybayev, G. Zargar, M., Ebzeev, D. and Nejad, M. S. (2024). Enhancing drought resistance in early-stage development of spring soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using trace elements in a dry steppe zone. Res. Crop. 25: 394-402.
Miklic, V., Crnobarac, J., Joksimović, J., Dušanić, N., Miladinović, D. and J. Siniša. (2014). Effect of harvest date on seed viability of different sunflower genotypes. Helia 29: 127-34.  doi:10. 2298/HEL0644127M.
Olson, K., Speidel, D., Olson, K. and D. (2024). Speidel. Tigris, Euphrates, and Shatt Al-Arab river system: historic and modern attempts to manage and restore Iraq's lifeline open access. Open J. Soil Sci. 14. 28-63. doi:10.4236/ojss.2024.141003.
Ritonga, F. N., Zhou, D., Zhang, Y., Song, R., Li, C., Li, J. and Gao, J. (2023). The roles of gibberellins in regulating leaf development. plants. 12: doi:10.3390/plants12061243.
Sammar, M., Muhammad, F., Farooq, M., Aslam, M., Usman, A., Akhter, N., Toleikienė, M., Binobead, M., Ajmal, Ali, M., Rizwan, M. and Iqbal, R. (2025). ZnO-nanoparticles and stage-based drought tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): effect on morpho-physiology, nutrients uptake, grain yield and quality. Sci. Rep. 15. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-89718-2.
Songmi, S. G., Kamdoum, E. K., NKotto, N. N., and Noubo, G. T. (2025). Effect of three plant extracts on germination, vigour index and fungal infections of six soybean varieties (Glycine max L.) cultivated in Cameroon. BMC Plant Biol. 25: doi:10.1186/s12870-025-07513-7.
Wahab, A., Muhammad, M., Munir, A., Abdi, G., Zaman, W., Ayaz, A., Khizar, C. and Reddy, S. P. P. (2023). Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in regulating growth, enhancing productivity, and potentially influencing ecosystems under abiotic and biotic stresses. Plants (Basel). 12:  doi:10.3390/plants12173102.
Yan, Q., Li, X., Xiao, X., Chen, J., Liu, J., Lin, C., Guan, R. and Wang, D. (2022). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improve the growth and drought tolerance of Cinnamomum migao by enhancing physio-biochemical responses. Ecol Evol. 12: doi:10.1002/ece3.9091.
Zhang, Q., Gong, M., Xu, X., Li, H. and Deng, W. (2022). Roles of auxin in the growth, development, and stress tolerance of horticultural plants. Cells 11: doi:10.3390/cells11172761.
Zhao, Y., Tang, Y. and Hu, L.  (2025). Growth and physiology effects of seed priming and foliar application of ZnO nanoparticles on Hibiscus syriacus L. Sci. Rep. 15: doi:10.1038/s41598-025-05059-0.
 

Global Footprints