Application of aminocaproic acid in improving drought resistance of plants

Abstract

The invention discloses application of aminocaproic acid to improvement of drought resistance of plants, and belongs to the field of plant stress resistance, micromolecular aminocaproic acid obtained through identification from aspergillus terreus metabolites is externally applied to roots of crops, and the drought resistance of the plants can be remarkably improved under the drought stress condition. According to the method, aminocaproic acid with effective concentration is applied in a root irrigation mode, so that crops can still keep high plant height, root length, fresh weight, stem diameter and water content in an environment with insufficient water, and inhibition of drought on plant growth is effectively relieved. Pot experiment results show that aminocaproic acid has remarkable drought-resisting and growth-promoting effects on crops such as corn and soybeans, and can improve the water steady state of plants and enhance root development. The invention further provides an agricultural composition containing aminocaproic acid and application of the agricultural composition as a drought-resistant growth promoting agent, and a new technical scheme is provided for developing novel and small-molecule stress-resistant preparations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of plant stress resistance, specifically relating to the use of aminocaproic acid in improving plant drought resistance. Background Technology

[0002] With the continued intensification of global climate change, the frequency and duration of drought events have increased significantly, becoming one of the major abiotic stress factors limiting agricultural productivity. Drought stress not only hinders crop growth and reduces yield, but also disrupts the water balance within plants, inhibits photosynthesis, and induces the accumulation of large amounts of reactive oxygen species, thereby causing cell damage. For a long time, improving crop drought resistance and stabilizing agricultural production has been an important research direction in the fields of plant physiology, agricultural microbiology, and biotechnology.

[0003] In recent years, enhancing crop stress resistance using plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) has become a research hotspot. PGPMs can help plants resist drought and other adverse conditions by regulating plant hormones, water homeostasis, root development, and metabolic networks. However, current microbial preparations for enhancing crop drought resistance still suffer from limited application scope, unstable effects, and unclear mechanisms of action. There is an urgent need to develop novel, highly efficient, and clearly defined growth-promoting drought-resistant substances or small molecule compounds derived from microorganisms. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a growth-promoting and drought-resistant substance that can significantly improve the growth performance of crops under drought stress.

[0005] The technical solution of this invention is: the use of aminocaproic acid in improving the drought resistance of plants.

[0006] Furthermore, the improvement of plant drought resistance refers to the ability to promote plant growth under drought conditions.

[0007] Furthermore, the method for improving plant drought resistance is as follows: aminocaproic acid is diluted with water and applied to the plant roots, such as through watering, root irrigation, drip irrigation, or mixing with a substrate.

[0008] Furthermore, the concentration of aminocaproic acid applied is 1-3 mM.

[0009] Furthermore, the plant is corn or soybean.

[0010] Uses of aminocaproic acid in the preparation of fertilizers or additives to improve plant drought resistance.

[0011] In previous work, our research team screened soil-derived fungal resources and discovered that a strain of *Aspergillus terreus* exhibits a significant growth-promoting effect on plants. Further analysis of its fermentation products using non-targeted metabolomics revealed for the first time a significantly enriched small molecule metabolite—aminocaproic acid—that it secretes. Aminocaproic acid, a simple and stable natural small molecule, has not previously been reported to have biological activity in plant drought resistance.

[0012] Through systematic pot experiments on drought stress in crops such as maize and soybean, we found that aminocaproic acid can significantly promote plant growth under drought conditions, increasing key physiological indicators such as plant height, root development, fresh weight, and water content, demonstrating excellent drought resistance and growth-promoting effects. This provides a new technical approach for developing drought-resistant synergists based on natural small molecules derived from microorganisms.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0014] 1. Aminocaproic acid is a natural small molecule with high stability, good safety, and reliable source, making it suitable for agricultural applications.

[0015] 2. Exogenous application of aminocaproic acid can significantly enhance the drought resistance of crops. It is characterized by simple operation, wide applicability, low cost, and easy promotion.

[0016] 3. Through pot experiments on crops such as corn and soybean, it was verified that aminocaproic acid can improve crop growth indicators by 5-37% (corn) and 15-30% (soybeans) under drought conditions, respectively, showing significant drought resistance and enhanced efficacy.

[0017] In summary, this invention provides a small-molecule drought-resistant and growth-promoting technology based on aminocaproic acid, offering a new solution for improving crop stress resistance and mitigating the harm of drought to agricultural production, and has significant scientific value and application prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 These are phenotypic photographs of maize under different treatments in the drought-resistant pot experiment of Example 1.

[0019] Figure 2 These are the growth indicators of maize under different treatments in the drought-resistant pot experiment in Example 1.

[0020] Figure 3 These are phenotypic photographs of soybeans under different treatments in the drought-resistant pot experiment of Example 2.

[0021] Figure 4 These are the growth indicators of soybeans under different treatments in the drought-resistant pot experiment in Example 2. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Unless otherwise specified, the experimental methods used in the following examples are conventional methods. Unless otherwise specified, the experimental materials used in the following examples were all purchased from commercial sources.

[0023] The Mingyu 1203 corn variety is available from various physical stores and online shops.

[0024] Soybean variety Zhonghuang 13: Available from various physical stores and online shops.

[0025] Aminocaproic acid: purchased from Aladdin Reagent (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

[0026] Example 1: Pot experiment on the promotion of drought-resistant growth of maize by bacterial strains

[0027] 1. After disinfecting the surface of the corn Mingyu 1203 seeds, sow them in moist vermiculite and place them in a light incubator for seedling cultivation (25 ℃, 70% RH, 2500 LUX). At the cotyledon stage, select seedlings with uniform growth and transplant them into pots containing soil (1L volume, with tray, soil:vermiculite = 1:1, total soil-vermiculite mixture 800 mL).

[0028] 2. Water the corn seedlings thoroughly when transplanting, and treat the potted plants as follows 3 days later:

[0029] H2O group (CK): The treatment involved watering the plants with 100 mL of tap water every 2 days during the growing season;

[0030] Drought group: Irrigate with 100 mL of tap water until the end of the experiment;

[0031] Drought + aminocaproic acid group: 100 mL of aminocaproic acid solution was irrigated at the roots to make the final concentration of aminocaproic acid in the soil 1 mM until the end of the experiment.

[0032] During this period, the plant growth was continuously observed, and photos were taken as needed.

[0033] 3. Potted plants were further cultivated in a light-controlled incubator for 2 weeks. Growth indicators of the maize plants (plant height, fresh weight, root length, stem diameter, and absolute water content) were observed, recorded, and measured. The data were analyzed using a t-test to determine the significant differences between the drought group and the drought + aminocaproic acid group. The results are expressed as fold values, representing the fold change of the drought + aminocaproic acid group relative to the drought group.

[0034] Experimental results show that under drought stress, application of 1 mM aminocaproic acid can significantly promote maize growth. For example... Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the drought + aminocaproic acid group exhibited significantly increased plant height, fresh weight, root length, stem diameter, and absolute water content, with increases of 5%, 25%, 37%, 36%, and 4%, respectively. Although the overall biomass of the drought + aminocaproic acid group was still lower than that of the normal water supply control (CK) group, its plant water content was actually higher. This demonstrates that aminocaproic acid can effectively alleviate the inhibitory effect of drought on maize growth, especially in maintaining water homeostasis, showing excellent application potential.

[0035] Example 2: Pot experiment on the promotion of drought-resistant growth of soybean by bacterial strains

[0036] 1. After disinfecting the surface of soybean Zhonghuang 13 seeds, sow them in moist vermiculite and place them in a light incubator for seedling cultivation (25℃, 70% RH, 2500 LUX). At the cotyledon stage, select seedlings with uniform growth and transplant them into pots containing soil (1L volume, with tray, soil:vermiculite = 1:1, total soil-vermiculite mixture 800 mL).

[0037] 2. Water the soybean seedlings thoroughly when transplanting, and treat the potted plants as follows 3 days later:

[0038] H2O group (CK): The treatment involved watering the plants with 100 mL of tap water every 2 days during the growing season;

[0039] Drought group: Irrigate with 100 mL of tap water until the end of the experiment;

[0040] Drought + aminocaproic acid group: 100 mL of aminocaproic acid solution was irrigated at the roots to make the final concentration of aminocaproic acid in the soil 3 mM until the end of the experiment.

[0041] During this period, the plant growth was continuously observed, and photos were taken as needed.

[0042] 3. The potted plants were further cultured in a light-controlled incubator for 2 weeks. Growth indicators (plant height and root length) of the soybean plants were observed, recorded, and measured. The data were analyzed using a t-test to determine the significant differences between the drought group and the drought + aminocaproic acid group. The results are expressed as fold values, representing the fold change of the drought + aminocaproic acid group relative to the drought group.

[0043] Experimental results under drought stress showed that 3 mM aminocaproic acid treatment significantly alleviated growth inhibition by effectively maintaining water homeostasis in soybean plants. Specifically, compared with the drought control group, the plant height and root length of the drought + aminocaproic acid group increased significantly by 15% and 30%, respectively. Figure 3 , Figure 4 These findings confirm the potential of aminocaproic acid in enhancing crop drought resistance and provide a basis for the development of related stress-resistant agents.

Claims

1. Use of amino hexanoic acid for improving drought resistance of plants.

2. Use according to claim 1, characterized in that, The improvement of drought resistance of plants refers to the ability to promote plant growth under drought conditions.

3. Use according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for improving drought resistance of plants is to apply amino hexanoic acid diluted to the roots of plants.

4. Use according to claim 3, characterized in that, The concentration of amino hexanoic acid applied is 1-3 mM.

5. Use according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The plants are corn or soybeans.

6. Use of amino hexanoic acid for preparing fertilizers or additives for improving drought resistance of plants.

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