Use of methyl laurate in enhancing drought tolerance in tomato plants

Abstract

The application discloses application of methyl laurate in enhancing drought resistance of tomato plants, and provides a method for promoting tomato flowering and fruiting under drought stress by means of root irrigation treatment of methyl laurate, wherein the tomato in a flowering and fruiting period is used as test material, and the growth of the tomato under drought stress is good after exogenous methyl laurate is applied, compared with control plants, the wilting degree of leaves of the treated plants is obviously reduced, the leaf water loss rate is reduced, and the fruit setting rate is obviously improved, which indicates that the methyl laurate has the function of improving the drought stress tolerance of the tomato. The application has important significance for the research on the drought resistance molecular mechanism of the tomato, provides practical technology for guaranteeing the flowering and fruiting of the tomato when the tomato is planted in a dry land, and has great significance for agricultural development.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of research on tomato growth under drought stress, and to the application of a compound in plant drought resistance; in particular, the application of methyl lauryl ester in enhancing the drought resistance of tomatoes. Background Technology

[0002] Tomatoes are widely loved for their rich vitamin content, high nutritional value, and unique flavor, making them an important agricultural crop with high economic value. During cultivation, tomatoes must face and adapt to various abiotic stresses in adverse environments. Drought is one of the most harmful abiotic stresses to tomato growth and development, leading to decreased growth, yield, and quality, and even plant death, severely impacting the economic benefits of tomatoes. Therefore, improving the drought resistance of tomatoes is a hot research topic in agricultural production.

[0003] Flowering is a crucial developmental milestone in plants, marking the transition from vegetative growth to reproductive development. Tomatoes are highly sensitive to water during the flowering and fruiting period. A rapid change in soil moisture followed by drying, or excessive water loss in a short time, not only negatively impacts growth and development but can also lead to pollen sterility, resulting in flower and fruit drop and a significant decrease in fruit yield, severely affecting the economic benefits of tomatoes. Therefore, improving the drought resistance of tomatoes during the flowering and fruiting period is a current research hotspot in agriculture.

[0004] Existing technologies disclose various methods for improving the drought resistance of tomatoes, such as CN115807017A which discloses the use of tomato genes. SlMAPK12 Breeding methods to improve the drought resistance of tomatoes involve measuring a series of physiological and biochemical indicators of tomato plants under drought stress, combined with the plant phenotypes under drought stress, to discover... SlMAPK12 RNA interference in transgenic tomato plants showed improved drought resistance compared to wild-type tomato plants, clarifying that... SlMAPK12 Negative gene regulation of tomato drought resistance provides important germplasm resources for the breeding of drought-resistant tomato varieties and the study of drought resistance mechanisms. CN110771447A discloses a cultivation method to improve the drought resistance of tomatoes under continuous drought conditions. This method involves burying blocky agricultural rock wool in the soil before transplanting tomatoes, applying base fertilizer, and then irrigating, which significantly improves the drought resistance of tomatoes and the yield of tomato crops under continuous drought stress. CN109111299A discloses a tomato-specific foliar fertilizer formula, which effectively improves the drought resistance of tomatoes by formulating a tomato-specific foliar fertilizer containing seaweed extract, soybean residue extract, humic acid, sugarcane molasses, trace elements, fungicides, and bentonite. Although the above technologies improve the drought resistance of tomatoes, they also have disadvantages such as high cost, complex processes, and long cycle.

[0005] As essential cellular components and energy sources, fatty acids (FAs) and their derivatives play crucial roles in plant growth and development, as well as in responding to abiotic and biotic stresses. Based on the number of carbon atoms, fatty acids can be classified into short-chain (less than 6 carbon atoms), medium-chain (6-12 carbon atoms), and long-chain (13-24 carbon atoms). Lauric acid, an important medium-chain fatty acid, contains 12 carbon atoms and can be directly extracted from the kernel oils of fruits such as coconut oil, Litsea cubeba kernel oil, palm kernel oil, Litsea cubeba kernel oil, and camphor tree seed oil. It is widely used as a surfactant and bactericide / disinfectant.

[0006] Methyl laurate can be produced by esterification of lauric acid and methanol. Also known as methyl dodecanoate or methyl lauryl ester, methyl laurate has the chemical formula C13H26O2. It is a colorless, clear, oily liquid with a floral and wine-like odor and is non-toxic. As a green and safe natural fatty acid derivative, methyl laurate is currently widely used in chemical raw materials, organic synthesis intermediates, food flavorings, and daily chemical fragrances. However, its application in activating plant drought resistance and other abiotic stresses has not yet been reported. Applying methyl laurate to improve the drought resistance of tomatoes is of great significance for increasing tomato yield under adverse conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the problem that tomatoes are susceptible to drought stress during their growth process, which affects their normal growth and leads to reduced yield, in order to make up for the deficiencies in the existing technology, the purpose of this invention is to provide an application of methyl lauryl ester in enhancing the drought resistance of tomatoes.

[0008] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: Application of methyl lauryl ester in enhancing drought resistance of tomato plants.

[0009] The application involves treating tomato plants in the flowering and fruiting stage with methyl lauryl ester through root irrigation in an artificial climate chamber, followed by dark cultivation for 8-12 hours. The tomato plants are then subjected to drought treatment in the artificial climate chamber. The root irrigation treatment involves directly irrigating the roots of tomato plants with a methyl lauryl solution at a concentration of 250-500 mg / L. The temperature in the artificial climate chamber is set at 25°C during the day and 20°C at night. The drought treatment culture lasts for 7-15 days.

[0010] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention provides the application of methyl lauryl acetate in drought-stressed tomato production. Drought resistance tests show that, compared with the control group without methyl lauryl acetate treatment, root irrigation with an appropriate concentration of methyl lauryl acetate can mitigate the effects of drought stress on tomato leaf growth, flowering, and fruiting, and significantly improve the resistance of seedlings to drought stress.

[0011] 2. Methyl lauryl ester (MLA) at concentrations of 250-500 mg / L significantly enhanced the drought resistance of tomatoes, with 500 mg / L MLA showing the best effect. Compared to the control, the water loss rate of tomato leaves after 15 days of drought treatment was significantly reduced after root drenching with 500 mg / L MLA. Root drenching with 500 mg / L MLA alleviated the inhibitory effect of drought stress on tomato leaf growth, and the relative water content of the aboveground parts of tomatoes treated with methyl lauryl ester under drought stress was significantly increased compared to the control group.

[0012] 3. During the reproductive development of tomatoes, irrigation with an appropriate concentration of methyl lauryl significantly increased the fruit size and weight of tomatoes under drought stress, reduced the impact of drought stress on yield, and improved the resistance of tomatoes to drought stress during the reproductive period.

[0013] As shown in the technical solution of this invention, methyl lauryl ester can inhibit water loss from tomato leaves under drought stress and significantly increase the fresh weight of tomato fruits under drought stress. These results indicate that exogenous application of methyl lauryl ester plays an important role in regulating the drought resistance of tomatoes. The method for inducing drought resistance in tomatoes through exogenous application of lipid compounds provided by this invention effectively solves the problems of poor growth and reduced fruit yield in tomatoes under drought stress. It is of great significance for finely regulating the drought response of tomatoes, improving their resistance to drought stress while maintaining yield, and provides a research basis and scientific evidence for drought resistance in other important food and economic crops. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 The effects of different concentrations of methyl lauryl acetate treatment on the growth of 8-week-old tomato seedlings under drought stress; Figure 2 Figure 1 shows the relative water content of the aboveground parts of tomatoes treated with different concentrations of methyl laurate under 15-day drought treatment. Figure 3 Figure 1 shows the leaf water loss rate of tomatoes treated with different concentrations of methyl laurate under 15-day drought treatment. Figure 4 Phenotypic analysis of tomatoes treated with different concentrations of methyl lauryl acetate after 15 days of drought. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. In the embodiments, Micro-Tom was used as the experimental material, and methyl laurate with a purity of 99% was purchased from Aladdin Reagent (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

[0016] All technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those skilled in the art. Furthermore, any methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein may be applied to this invention. The preferred embodiments and materials described herein are for illustrative purposes only.

[0017] This invention provides the application of methyl lauryl ester in enhancing the drought resistance of tomatoes.

[0018] The application includes the following steps: 1) Select two-week-old tomato seedlings of varieties that are growing uniformly and free from pests and diseases for cultivation, and plant them in plastic square pots; 2) In a plant culture-type artificial climate chamber, tomato plants are cultivated to eight weeks old through normal water management, and then enter the flowering and fruiting period; 3) The tomatoes were treated with methyl lauryl solution by root irrigation, and then the tomato plants treated with the above-mentioned exogenous methyl lauryl solution were cultured in the dark in an artificial climate chamber. The next day, the residual solution in the tray was poured off to obtain drought-resistant tomatoes.

[0019] Preferably, in step 3), methyl lauryl ester with a concentration of 250-500 mg / L is used for root irrigation.

[0020] More preferably, in step 3, methyl laurate at a concentration of 500 mg / L is used for root irrigation.

[0021] Preferably, in steps 2 and 3, the photoperiod of the artificial climate chamber is set to 16 hours of light / 8 hours of darkness, and the temperature is set to 25°C during the day / 20°C at night.

[0022] Preferably, the dark culture time in step 3 is 8-12 h.

[0023] Preferably, the tomato variety is any variety of tomato.

[0024] More preferably, the tomato variety is Micro-Tom.

[0025] Step 1: Select two-week-old 'Micro-Tom' tomato plants that are growing uniformly and free from pests and diseases, and plant them in plastic flower pots with drainage holes at the bottom. The substrate should be a mixture of black soil, vermiculite, and perlite. Plant one plant per pot.

[0026] Step 2: After planting, move the plants to an artificial climate cultivation room and care for them until they are 8 weeks old and enter the flowering and fruiting period. During this time, manage the water properly to prevent water deficiency and prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests.

[0027] Step 3: The whole plant root irrigation method was adopted, with distilled water as the control (0 mg / L methyl lauryl ester), and 250 mg / L and 500 mg / L methyl lauryl ester were used to induce tomato treatment. The control group was set up with 20 replicates, and each of the other treatment groups was set up with 10 replicates.

[0028] Step 4: After treating tomatoes with methyl lauryl 8 under dark culture, pour off the residual solution in the tray, leave 10 control plants and water them normally, and subject the remaining plants to drought stress treatment for 15 consecutive days. During this period, observe and analyze the changes in phenotypic characteristics every day. Based on the changes in the phenotypic characteristics of 'Micro-Tom' tomatoes, determine the degree of wilting of the plants and the degree of drought stress.

[0029] Step 5: On the 15th day after the drought treatment, take photos of the tomato plants under different treatments to record the overall morphological characteristics of the plants, with 4 biological replicates for each group.

[0030] The results are as follows Figure 1 The results showed that, compared with the control group, after 15 days of drought stress, tomato plants treated with exogenous methyl lauryl ester root irrigation were generally greener, and the degree of leaf wilting was significantly reduced. Further comparison revealed that, compared with the 250 mg / L methyl lauryl ester treatment group, tomatoes treated with 500 mg / L methyl lauryl ester showed a greater improvement in drought resistance, indicating that appropriate concentrations of exogenous methyl lauryl ester treatment can improve the tolerance of tomatoes to drought stress.

[0031] Step 1: Select two-week-old 'Micro-Tom' tomato plants that are growing uniformly and free from pests and diseases, and plant them in plastic flower pots with drainage holes at the bottom. The substrate should be a mixture of black soil, vermiculite, and perlite. Plant one plant per pot.

[0032] Step 2: After planting, move the plants to an artificial climate cultivation room and care for them until they are 8 weeks old and enter the flowering and fruiting period. During this time, manage the water properly to prevent water deficiency and prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests.

[0033] Step 3: The whole plant root irrigation method was adopted, with distilled water as the control (0 mg / L methyl lauryl ester), and 250 mg / L and 500 mg / L methyl lauryl ester were used to induce tomato treatment. The control group was set up with 20 replicates, and each of the other treatment groups was set up with 10 replicates.

[0034] Step 4: After treating tomatoes with methyl lauryl ester in the dark for 10 hours, pour off the residual solution in the tray, leave 10 control plants and water them normally, and subject the remaining plants to drought stress for 15 consecutive days. During this period, the above-ground parts of the tomato plants in different treatment groups were sampled and weighed every day, with 3 biological replicates for each group, and the relative water content was calculated.

[0035] The results are as follows Figure 2 The study showed that comparing the relative water content (RWC) of the aboveground parts (leaves) of tomato plants before and after drought treatment, the control group exhibited a significant decrease in the RWC of the aboveground parts after drought stress. Tomatoes treated with exogenous methyl lauryl acetate (250 mg / L) showed a significantly smaller decrease in water content after drought stress compared to the control group. Tomatoes treated with exogenous methyl lauryl acetate (500 mg / L) showed almost no significant decrease in water content after drought stress compared to the control group, demonstrating good water retention. This indicates that appropriate concentrations of exogenous methyl lauryl acetate significantly enhance the ability of tomato plants to resist drought stress.

[0036] Step 1: Select two-week-old 'Micro-Tom' tomato plants that are growing uniformly and free from pests and diseases, and plant them in plastic flower pots with drainage holes at the bottom. The substrate should be a mixture of black soil, vermiculite, and perlite. Plant one plant per pot.

[0037] Step 2: After planting, move the plants to an artificial climate cultivation room and care for them until they are 8 weeks old and enter the flowering and fruiting period. During this time, manage the water properly to prevent water deficiency and prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests.

[0038] Step 3: The whole plant root irrigation method was adopted, with distilled water as the control (0 mg / L methyl lauryl ester), and 500 mg / L methyl lauryl ester was used to induce the tomatoes. The control group was set up with 20 replicates, and each of the other treatment groups was set up with 10 replicates.

[0039] Step 4: After treating tomatoes with methyl lauryl ester in the dark for 12 hours, pour off the residual solution in the tray, leave 10 control plants and water them normally, and subject the remaining plants to drought stress treatment for 15 consecutive days. During this period, observe and analyze the changes in phenotypic characteristics every day. Based on the changes in the phenotypic characteristics of 'Micro-Tom' tomatoes, determine the degree of wilting of the plants and the degree of drought stress.

[0040] Step 5: After 15 days of drought treatment, the leaves of tomato plants in the control group and the 500 mg / L methyl lauryl ester treatment group were sampled and weighed. There were 3 biological replicates for each group, and 10 leaves were taken from each replicate. Under the conditions of 25 ℃ and 55% humidity in the artificial climate culture room, each leaf was weighed every 1 hour using an analytical balance, and the weight was recorded continuously for 9 hours.

[0041] Step 6: Take the weight of the detached leaf before water loss as W1, and the weight of the leaf after water loss as W2.

[0042] The water loss rate of detached leaves of tomato plants in each treatment group before water loss and after water loss for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 hours was calculated as [(W1-W2) / W1]×100%. A bar chart of the water loss rate of detached leaves was plotted to analyze and compare the water loss of detached leaves of tomatoes in different treatment groups.

[0043] The results are as follows Figure 3 The study showed that, by comparing the water loss rate of detached tomato leaves before and after drought treatment, the water loss rate of tomato leaves in the control group gradually decreased within 0-9 hours after detachment. However, the decrease in water loss rate within 0-9 hours after detachment was significantly reduced and the rate of decrease slowed after treatment with exogenous methyl lauryl ester (500 mg / L). This indicates that treatment with an appropriate concentration of exogenous methyl lauryl ester significantly enhances the water retention capacity of tomato plant leaves.

[0044] Step 1: Select two-week-old 'Micro-Tom' tomato plants that are growing uniformly and free from pests and diseases, and plant them in plastic flower pots with drainage holes at the bottom. The substrate should be a mixture of black soil, vermiculite, and perlite. Plant one plant per pot.

[0045] Step 2: After planting, move the plants to an artificial climate cultivation room and care for them until they are 8 weeks old and enter the flowering and fruiting period. During this time, manage the water properly to prevent water deficiency and prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests.

[0046] Step 3: The whole plant root irrigation method was adopted, with distilled water as the control (0 mg / L methyl lauryl ester), and 250 mg / L and 500 mg / L methyl lauryl ester were used to induce tomato treatment. The control group was set up with 20 replicates, and each of the other treatment groups was set up with 10 replicates.

[0047] Step 4: After treating tomatoes with methyl lauryl ester in the dark for 12 hours, pour off the residual solution in the tray, leave 10 control plants and water them normally, and subject the remaining plants to drought stress treatment for 15 consecutive days. During this period, observe and analyze the changes in phenotypic characteristics every day. Based on the changes in the phenotypic characteristics of 'Micro-Tom' tomatoes, determine the degree of wilting of the plants and the degree of drought stress.

[0048] Step 5: Take samples and photographs of the fruits produced by tomato plants in different treatment groups 15 days after drought treatment, with 30 biological replicates for each group.

[0049] The results are as follows Figure 4 The results showed that, compared with the normal watering control group, the fruit development of tomatoes in all groups under drought treatment was significantly inhibited. However, compared with the drought control group, the tomatoes treated with exogenous methyl lauryl ester root irrigation after 15 days of drought stress produced larger fruits. These results indicate that treatment with appropriate concentrations of exogenous methyl lauryl ester can alleviate the inhibition of fruit development in tomatoes during the flowering and fruiting period due to drought.

[0050] Step 1: Select two-week-old 'Micro-Tom' tomato plants that are growing uniformly and free from pests and diseases, and plant them in plastic flower pots with drainage holes at the bottom. The substrate should be a mixture of black soil, vermiculite, and perlite. Plant one plant per pot.

[0051] Step 2: After planting, move the plants to an artificial climate cultivation room and care for them until they are 8 weeks old and enter the flowering and fruiting period. During this time, manage the water properly to prevent water deficiency and prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests.

[0052] Step 3: The whole plant root irrigation method was adopted, with distilled water as the control (0 mg / L methyl lauryl ester), and 250 mg / L and 500 mg / L methyl lauryl ester were used to induce tomato treatment. The control group was set up with 20 replicates, and each of the other treatment groups was set up with 10 replicates.

[0053] Step 4: After treating tomatoes with methyl lauryl ester in the dark for 12 hours, pour off the residual solution in the tray, leave 10 control plants and water them normally, and subject the remaining plants to drought stress treatment for 15 consecutive days. During this period, observe and analyze the changes in phenotypic characteristics every day. Based on the changes in the phenotypic characteristics of 'Micro-Tom' tomatoes, determine the degree of wilting of the plants and the degree of drought stress.

[0054] Step 5: Sample and analyze the fruits produced by tomato plants in different treatment groups 15 days after drought treatment. Record the total number of fruits produced per plant and the total weight of the fruits, with 10 biological replicates per group. At the same time, record and analyze the phenotype of individual fruits, record the weight of individual fruits, and measure the transverse and longitudinal diameters, with 30 biological replicates per group.

[0055] Table 1 shows the statistical results of fruit size, weight, transverse diameter, and longitudinal diameter of tomatoes treated with different concentrations of methyl lauryl acetate after 15 days of drought. As shown in Table 1, compared with the normal watering control group, the number of fruits per plant, total fruit weight per plant, and weight per fruit in each drought-treated group were significantly reduced. However, compared with the control drought-treated group, after 15 days of drought stress, the weight of individual fruits in tomato plants treated with exogenous methyl lauryl acetate root irrigation was significantly increased, and the transverse and longitudinal diameters were also significantly increased. The fruit weight and diameter of the 500 mg / L methyl lauryl acetate root irrigation treatment group were further increased compared with the 250 mg / L treatment group. These results indicate that appropriate concentrations of exogenous methyl lauryl acetate treatment can significantly increase the fruit yield of tomatoes under drought stress.

[0056] Table 1

[0057] In summary, the invention illustrated herein can be suitably practiced without any elements or limitations not specifically disclosed herein. Therefore, terms such as "comprising / including" should be understood as open-ended and without limitation. Furthermore, the terms and expressions used herein are descriptive rather than limiting, and are not intended to exclude any equivalent features of the shown and described features or portions thereof; however, it should be recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that although the invention has been specifically disclosed through preferred embodiments and optional features, those skilled in the art can employ modifications and variations embodying the invention as disclosed herein, and such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. The application of methyl lauryl ester in enhancing the drought resistance of tomato plants, characterized in that, In an artificial climate chamber, tomato plants in the flowering and fruiting stage were treated with methyl lauryl acid through root irrigation, followed by dark cultivation for 8-12 hours. These tomato plants were then subjected to drought treatment in the artificial climate chamber. The root irrigation treatment involves directly irrigating the roots of tomato plants with a methyl lauryl solution at a concentration of 250-500 mg / L. The temperature in the artificial climate chamber is set at 25°C during the day and 20°C at night. The drought treatment culture lasts for 7-15 days.

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