Use of Plant Regulators for Activation of Antioxidant Enzymes in Basil Plants under Water Deficit Conditions

Abstract

Basil is susceptible to biotic or abiotic stress, negatively interfering with growth and production. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the physiological effects of the application of plant regulators in basil plants that suffer from water deficit. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design (RBD) in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme, including plants that were subjected to water stress and those that were not. In addition, plants also received five doses of Stimulate® composed of indolylbutyric acid (IBA) + gibberellic acid (GA3) + kinetin (Kt) with four repetitions each. The experiment was evaluated through the biochemical analyses of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and lipid peroxidation performed 20, 35, and 50 days after transplanting (DAT). The mixture of plant regulators attenuateds the effects through the increasing activities of these enzymes. The plants that received the highest dosages (9 and 12 mL L−1) offered the best protetion. Parameters of growth measures such as number of leaves and leaf area also showed significant responses regarding the application of the plant growth regulators. The use of a mixture of plant regulators, despite satisfactory results, does not make basil economically viable because it presents inaccurate results regarding its use.