Legume Research
Web of Science
  • Year: 2025
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue: 3

Mitigating Drought by Exogenous Potassium-mediated Improvements in Water Relation, Antioxidant Defense, Morpho-physiological and Biochemical Attributes of Black Gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper]

  • Author:
  • Muhammad Ahmad1, Ejaz Ahmad Waraich1,*, Aneeqa Munir2, Saddam Hussain1, Raees Ahmed3, Muhammad Aamir Iqbal4,**, Usman Zulfiqar5, Khalid F. Almutairi6, Zeki Erden7, Çağdaş Can Toprak7, Atikur Rahman8, Ayman El Sabagh7,9
  • Total Page Count: 10
  • Page Number: 404 to 413

1Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan

2Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan

3Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Pakistan

4Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, 71270, United States

5Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

6Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

7Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Siirt University, Siirt, Turkey

8Grassland and Forage Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Cheonan, 31000, Republic of Korea

9Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Shaikh, 33516, Egypt

*Corresponding Author: Ejaz Ahmad Waraich, Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan, Email: uaf_ewarraich@yahoo.com

**Corresponding Author: Muhammad Aamir Iqbal, Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, 71270, United States, Email: miqbal@latech.edu

Online Published on 18 July, 2025.

Abstract

Globally, drought stress (DS) incidence in early development and grain-filling stages of crops like black gram has posed a serious constraint to the growth and yield of legume crops. To ensure the food and nutritional security of the rising human population, requisites developing eco-friendly, pro-farmers and cost-effective DS mitigation strategies for imparting yield sustainability to black gram.

In this trial, treatments included control group entailing control (normal watering), water spray (WA, positive control), control+50 mg L-1 K2SO4, control +100 mg L-1 K2SO4, control +150 mg L-1 K2SO4, while drought treatment included drought stress (plant exposed to 15-20% by suspending water supply), water spray (WA, positive control), drought +50 mg L-1 K2SO4, drought +100 mg L-1 K2SO4 and drought +150 mg L-1 K2SO4.

The results exhibited that the DS seriously declined plant growth, relative water content and water potential by 24.2% and 39.3%, respectively, inducing higher levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration that reduced cell membrane stability, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rate, than the control. However, the foliar applied K significantly improved plant growth, plant water status, gas exchange and photosynthetic performance, chlorophyll content and antioxidant enzyme activity. Exogenous application of K further reduced lipid peroxidation, cell membrane injury and hydrogen peroxide by 12.7, 17.6 and 8.70%, respectively.

Keywords

Abiotic stresses, Antioxidant defense, Cellular injury, Climate change, Vigna mungo, Water suspension