Exogenous hydrogen peroxide alleviates water stress-induced physiological and biochemical changes in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.)

Water scarcity threatens crops, in particular, durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), in the world's drought regions. As the water-stress wheat cultivars in the middle east of Algeria are poorly investigated, the present study was, therefore devoted to exploring the effect of water deficiency and, the possible attenuative role of exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in Sémito, a commonly cultivated durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) variety in the middle eastern regions of Algeria. Here, Water-stressed durum wheat seeds received sufficient water for 48 hours to allow for uniform seed germination and then were subjected to cease the watering phase. The attenuation of water stress severity was examined in water-stressed wheat seeds treated with two different concentrations of H2O2 (20 and 50 mM). Water stress significantly reduced mean root number (MRN), mean root length (MRL), and germination percentage (G %), in addition to a marked decline in total protein content, and increased level of proline content and catalase activity compared to control plants. Moreover, H2O2 co-treatment enhanced the catalase activity, and promoted the accumulation of proline and protein contents, contributing to osmotic adjustment under water stress conditions. Our findings suggest that exogenous H2O2 application ameliorates water stress-induced physiological and biochemical changes in durum wheat, highlighting its potential as a promising strategy to enhance drought tolerance in this economically important crop species.