Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Foliar spray of thiourea enhances salt tolerance and improves biochemical induced physiological responses in Gerbera jamesonii
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Research Articles | Published: 31 May, 2025
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Keywords: Gerbera, Ornamental plant, ROS, Salinity, Thiourea
Abstract
Salinity or salt stress is a key abiotic stress factor often correlated with ornamental plants grown in greenhouses, which are subjected to frequent application of fertilizers. Fertigation for prolonged periods in soil accumulates salts, creating salinity which interferes with the plant’s physiological function. Repeated fertigation results in a massive loss for commercially significant ornamentals like Gerbera jamesonii, whose cut blooms rank sixth in the global flower trade. In the current investigation, G. jamesonii plants (white and yellow flower kinds) were pre-treated with optimum amounts of Thiourea (1.0 mM, 5.0 mM, and 10.0 mM) to develop salt tolerance. Gerberas that were pre-treated with Thiourea and then exposed to NaCl (200 mM), have not shown any symptoms of plant stress or phenotypic abnormalities as compared to control plants that were not pre-treated with Thiourea. Furthermore, Thiourea application resulted in considerable increases in fresh and dry leaf weight, relative water content, total protein content, free proline content, and chlorophyll content. A decrease in H2O2 and MDA levels, as well as an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and peroxidase, indicate minimal cellular damage in salinity-exposed gerbera plants pre-treated with Thiourea. Thus, foliar spray of thiourea (1.0 mM) could help gerbera plants overcome the detrimental effects of salt stress, and the current findings may be extended to other ornamentals to promote sustainable development of the floriculture industry.
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Author Information
Department of Biotechnology, Telangana University, Nizamabad, India