Synergistic melatonin and myo-inositol application reinforces antioxidant defence, osmotic homeostasis, and membrane stability in Western Himalayan apple rootstocks under drought stress.
Khatri S, Sharma DP, Sharma N, Kumar P, Rana R, Gupta V, Dilta KS, Sharma R.
Climate Adaptation
Apple trees in mountain orchards facing longer dry spells could be shielded with a simple leaf treatment rather than more irrigation, keeping fruit on the trees even as Himalayan snowpack shrinks.
Scientists tested whether two natural plant compounds — melatonin (yes, the same one involved in sleep) and myo-inositol (a sugar-like molecule plants make naturally) — could help apple trees survive dry conditions. When applied together at the right amount, they worked better than either one alone, keeping leaves healthy and cells intact even when the trees were severely water-stressed. Two particular apple rootstocks responded especially well, suggesting that picking the right tree variety and pairing it with this treatment could be a practical strategy for drought-prone orchards.
Key Findings
The combined treatment of 100 µM melatonin + 100 µM myo-inositol outperformed either compound alone across all five apple rootstocks tested, showing the lowest stress scores (CRI values) under 40% field capacity drought.
Drought at 40% field capacity significantly degraded chlorophyll and increased electrolyte leakage (membrane damage), but the combined treatment substantially reversed both effects, maintaining photosynthetic function.
Rootstocks Bud 118 and MM 111 showed the strongest biochemical response to the combined treatment, demonstrating that genotype selection amplifies the benefit of metabolite application.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Combining two natural compounds — melatonin and myo-inositol — at the right dose dramatically helps apple rootstocks survive drought by protecting their cells, maintaining leaf greenness, and keeping antioxidant defenses strong. The finding points to a practical, chemical-free way to buffer apple orchards against increasingly dry growing seasons.
Abstract Preview
Drought stress induces profound biochemical and physiological disturbances in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.), including oxidative imbalance, chlorophyll degradation, osmotic disruption, and membr...
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