Melatonin Application Effects on Two Bulgarian Wheat Cultivars

Abstract

Wheat is a staple crop for humankind and it is important to have environmentally safe tools to cope with the most important stress factors for agriculture. Melatonin is reported as universal molecule, possessing plant growth regulating properties and various important functions, including its usage as biostimulant against stress factors in plants. We aimed to investigate if melatonin application could cause unexpected adverse effects in two Bulgarian wheat cultivars (Fermer and Gines). The assessment of the content of selected stress markers such as malondialdehyde, electrolyte leakage and free proline, together with phenotype characteristics distinctly showed that 75 μ M melatonin supplementation via roots does not cause deterioration of plant physiology responses in tested Bulgarian wheat cultivars.