title: Effect of seed pre-soaking with 24-epibrassinolide on growth and photosynthetic parameters of Brassica juncea L. in imidacloprid soil.
abstract: Pesticides are widely used to protect crop plants from various insect pests. However, application of pesticides causes phytotoxicity to plants which results in their impaired growth and development. Brassinosteroids are well known to protect plants under abiotic stress conditions. The purpose of the present study was to access the ameliorative role of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) in Brassica juncea L. under imidacloprid (IMI) toxicity. B. juncea plants were raised from seeds soaked in 0.1, 1 and 100nM of EBR, and grown in soils amended with 250, 300 and 350mgkg(-1) IMI pesticide, and observed for growth, pigments and photosynthetic parameters after 30, 60 and 90 days of seed sowing. The plants grown in soil treated with IMI exhibited a significant reduction in shoot length, number of leaves, chlorophyll contents and photosynthetic parameters like photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, inter-cellular CO2 and transpiration rate, when compared with their respective controls. However, pigments which act as antioxidants such as carotenoids, anthocyanins and xanthophylls were increased with IMI stress. Pre-sowing seed treatment with EBR decreased the toxic effects of IMI and increased the growth, pigment biosynthesis and photosynthetic parameters of the plants grown in IMI amended soil. Maximum increase in all the growth and photosynthetic parameters was noticed in plants raised from seeds treated with 100nM EBR and grown in IMI amended soil.
authors.affiliation: Plant Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India. Electronic address: anketsharma@ymail.com.
authors.forename: Anket
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Plant Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Plant Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Ravinder
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Plant Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Ashwani Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Thukral
authors.affiliation: Plant Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India. Electronic address: renubhardwaj82@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhardwaj
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D060406:Brassinosteroids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000633:toxicity*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D009149:Mustard Plant / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil; D013260:Steroids, Heterocyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D060406:Brassinosteroids; D007093:Imidazoles; D007306:Insecticides; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D012987:Soil; D013260:Steroids, Heterocyclic; D002734:Chlorophyll; D002338:Carotenoids; C082359:imidacloprid; C023623:brassinolide
keywords: 24-epibrassinolide; Brassica juncea; Brassinosteroids; Pesticide toxicity; Photosynthesis