Modulation of drought stress effects and improvement of fruit quality indices with exogenous application of methyl jasmonate in physalis plants (Physalis peruviana L.)

Background & Adjective:

 In the recent years, studies have been focusing on the use of safe and biocompatible compounds to reduce the damage caused by drought stress. In this study, the effect of exogenous application of methyl jasmonate in modulating the effects of drought stress on Physalis plants and improvement of antioxidant activity was evaluated.

In the present study, drought stress at 3 levels (100, 75 and 50 % of field capacity) and different concentrations of methyl jasmonate at 3 levels (0, 10 and 100 μM) were used as the experimental factors.

According to the results, drought stress significantly reduced fresh and dry weight, relative water content, chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids and beta-carotene in physalis leaves while total phenol and flavonoid content and antioxidant activity (fruits and leaves), soluble sugar, proline and malondialdehyde (leaves) increased under drought stress conditions. Foliar application with methyl jasmonate reduced the negative effects of drought stress in physalis plants by affecting the relative water content, chlorophyll content, membrane stability (decrease of malondialdehyde), and increasing compatible solutions (soluble sugar and proline), total phenol and flavonoids and antioxidant activity so that the fresh weight of the fruit increased (54.73%) by spraying 100 μM methyl jasmonate in the second level of stress.

In general, the results of the study showed that foliar application of methyl jasmonate, especially at 100 μM concentration, reduced the effects of drought stress on the physalis plants, and improved antioxidant activity and fruit weight, thus improving the yield.