Biostimulant Potential of Acetic Acid Under Drought Stress Is Confounded by pH-Dependent Root Growth Inhibition

Frontiers in Plant Science
Megan M Allen, Damian J Allen

Abstract

Recent reports of acetic acid-induced drought tolerance and avoidance across a diverse range of plant species encourage consideration of this low-cost commodity organic acid as a biostimulant. These results are surprising as they contrast with earlier studies showing pH-dependent root growth inhibition at similar concentrations. We test the hypothesis that the concentration of the membrane permeable undissociated form of acetic acid (CH3COOH) selectively inhibits maize root growth, and subsequently evaluate its impact on seedling water use and growth under deficit irrigation. We demonstrate conclusively for the first time that when germinating maize on filter paper, low pH exacerbates, and high pH mitigates, this inhibition of root growth in a predictable manner based on the dissociation constant of acetic acid. The buffering capacity of potting media can reduce this root damage through keeping the acetic acid primarily in the membrane impermeable dissociated form (CH3COO-) at near neutral pH, but peat substrates appear to offer some protection, even at low pH. While both deficit irrigation and acetic acid reduced water use and growth of maize seedlings outdoors, there was no significant interaction between the treatments. Twen...Continue Reading

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Oct 6, 2006·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Ashvini Chauhan, Andrew Ogram
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Oct 27, 2018·Journal of Pesticide Science·Shunsaku IsajiNaoki Mori
May 21, 2019·Frontiers in Plant Science·Yoshinori UtsumiMotoaki Seki
Oct 28, 2019·Scientific Reports·Md Mezanur RahmanLam-Son Phan Tran

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Citations

Nov 3, 2021·Journal of Experimental Botany·Rouhallah SharifiChoong-Min Ryu

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