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FOLIAR-APPLIED UREA MODULATES NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHESIS METABOLISM AND GLYCINEBETAINE ACCUMULATION IN DROUGHT-STRESSED MAIZE

LIXIN ZHANG^1*, ZHI RUAN¹, LI TIAN¹, JINGHUAN LAI¹, PENG ZHENG¹, ZONGSUO LIANG¹ AND ASHOK K. ALVA²

Abstract: Foliar urea has been proved to play a better positive role in enhancing accumulation of nitric oxide (NO) and glycinebetaine (GB) in maize (Zea mays L.) under drought stress (DS). However, it is unclear how foliar urea affects biosynthetic metabolism of NO and its relationship with GB accumulation. This study was on investigating the effect of foliar- applied urea on seedlings of maize cultivar Zhengdan 958 grown in a hydroponic medium under DS or No DS. Contents of NO and GB and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity increased and peaked 12 h after the treatment. Nitrate reductase activity (NRA) followed the similar pattern 6h after the treatment. Under DS foliar urea application increased NR and NOS activity and, thereby, increased NO formation. Therefore, enhancement in activities of both NRA and NOS resulted in an increase of NO accumulation. Foliar- applied urea could induce an increased NO burst by enhanced NO synthesis metabolism as a nitrogen signal, possibly resulting in GB accumulation under DS.

¹College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, P. R. China

²USDA-ARS-Vegetable and Forage Crops Research Unit, 99350, Prosser, WA, USA

*Correspondence author e-mail address: zhanglixin@nwsuaf.edu.cn Tel.: +0086-29-87092262