Hormetic Priming of Sorghum Water Extract Imparts Drought Tolerance and Mediated Antioxidative Defense in Wheat

An important global problem to agricultural output is drought. Allelopathic hormesis, which makes use of allelochemicals' low-dose stimulating action, offers a workable way to lessen the detrimental consequences of drought on plants. This study, therefore, was conducted to evaluate the potential of l sorghum water extract in enhancing drought tolerance in wheat. The experiment was comprised on three factors viz. drought with three levels (100, 60, and 30% field capacity), different concentrations of sorghum water extract (ranging from control to 3.0%), and two wheat varieties with differing drought tolerance levels (Ihsan-2016 and Galaxy-2013). Drought stress, notably at 30% field capacity, led to diminished morphological traits in both wheat varieties. However, priming seeds with 2% sorghum water extract significantly boosted drought tolerance. Compared to the control, seed priming with 2% sorghum water extract under extreme drought circumstances significantly enhanced the structural traits in both wheat varieties, including seedling length and fresh and dry biomass (30% field capacity). Additionally, the utilization of 2% sorghum water extract enhanced the action of antioxidant enzymes (e.g., superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbic acid by 2-97%, reduced hydrogen peroxide levels by 7-86%, and increased chlorophyll and carotenoid contents by 64-116% compared to the control, further reinforcing drought tolerance in both wheat varieties under severe drought stress. Wheat varieties primed with sorghum water extract showed higher growth and resilience, which can be linked to increased levels of chlorophyll, physiological characteristics, strengthened antioxidant defense systems and reduced damage from H2O2.