Receptor-Specific Synthetic Cytokinin S-CMBA Enhances Drought Tolerance in Commercial Varieties of Solanum tuberosum L.

Abstract The effect of a new receptor-specific synthetic cytokinin S- CMBA, an agonist of the Arabidopsis AHK3 receptor, on the biochemical and physiological parameters of commercial potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties grown under drought conditions was tested. Untreated plants and plants treated with the widely used cytokinin N 6 -benzyladenine (BA) were used as controls. Treatment with both cytokinins under drought conditions resulted in a decrease in the intensity of water deficit symptoms in all varieties compared to the untreated control. At the same time, treatment of plants with S- CMBA reduced tuber yield losses by 1.5–2 times compared to the control, and treatment with BA by no more than 10%. It is assumed that S- CMBA and similar receptor-specific cytokinins can be used as protective bioregulators to increase the resistance of potato plants to water deficit.