Turkish Journal of Food and Agriculture Sciences

Abstract

Plants are exposed to various abiotic stress factors throughout their life cycles. Among these, low temperature is a significant abiotic stressor in agriculture that can substantially impact plant growth, development, yield, and crop quality. This study aims to investigate the effects of molybdenum (Mo) application on the 'Bengi' rocket variety under conditions of low-temperature stress. The research was conducted in climate-controlled conditions at Siirt University. The 'Bengi' rocket variety was utilized as the plant material, and a growing medium composed of a 2:1 (2v:1v) mixture of peat and perlite was employed. The experimental design followed a randomized complete block design with three replications, each consisting of ten plants. The treatment groups included: control, 25 ppm Mo, 50 ppm Mo, 75 ppm Mo, 12 h of cold stress, 24 h of cold stress, 12 h of cold stress + 25 ppm Mo, 12 h of cold stress + 50 ppm Mo, 12 h of cold stress + 75 ppm Mo, 24 h of cold stress + 25 ppm Mo, 24 h of cold stress + 50 ppm Mo, and 24 h of cold stress + 75 ppm Mo. The control group was maintained under a 16/8 h light-dark cycle at temperatures of 20°C during the day and 17°C at night. Seedlings were subjected to cold stress at 4°C for 12 h, followed by normal conditions at 20°C for an additional 12 h. At the conclusion of the study, various parameters were evaluated, including plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, fresh weight, dry weight, moisture content, SPAD value, ion leakage, turgor loss, and relative water content. The results revealed that the highest plant height (20.47 cm) was recorded with the 75 ppm Mo treatment, while the lowest height (13.50 cm) was observed under the 24-h cold stress + 75 ppm Mo treatment. The maximum stem diameter (2.71 mm) was also noted with the 75 ppm Mo application, whereas the minimum diameter (2.15 mm) occurred with the 12-h cold stress + 75 ppm Mo treatment. The leaf count was highest at 9.667 leaves with the 75 ppm Mo treatment and lowest at 6.00 leaves with the 12-h cold stress + 75 ppm Mo treatment. The SPAD value reached its peak at 47.97 with the 75 ppm Mo application, while the lowest value (38.13) was recorded under the 12-h cold stress condition. Fresh weight was highest at 10.22 g with the 25 ppm Mo treatment and lowest at 4.88 g with the 50 ppm Mo treatment. Additionally, the maximum moisture content was found to be 93% with the 25 ppm Mo application, while the minimum was 85% with the 50 ppm Mo treatment. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that molybdenum applications exert complex effects on plant growth, which vary according to Mo concentration and the duration of cold stress. These findings provide a crucial basis for developing optimal molybdenum usage and plant protection strategies against cold stress in agricultural practices.