Ameliorative Potentials of β-Aminobutyric Acid (BABA) on the Oxidative Stress Attributes of Ofada Rice Plant Subjected to Water Stress at the Vegetative Growth Stage

Abstract

Ofada rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an extremely sensitive rice variety to drought stress. The study was aimed at utilizing the potentials of betaaminobutyric acid (BABA) to ameliorate the oxidative stress in Ofada rice subjected to water deficit stress at the vegetative growth stage of the plant. Field experiments was carried out at the University of Ilorin teaching and research farm during the dry season. The experimental setup followed a complete randomized block design with five treatments and four replications. Ofada rice plants were subjected to four concentrations of BABA treatments (0, 150, 300 and 600 µM) upon stress imposition at the vegetative stage of the plant growth, a full blown water regime was included as the positive control which is the fifth treatment. The result showed that BABA was able to delay the morphological manifestation of water stress in Ofada rice for a period of 12 days. Furthermore, a significant increase in superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and nitrate reductase activity were also recorded in BABA treated water-stressed plant when compared to the negative control (0 µM BABA). All BABA treated water-stressed plants also showed a marked decrease in superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide concentration as well as lipid peroxidation levels. Therefore, foliar application of BABA at the rate of 150- 300 µM should be incorporated in the cultivation of Ofada rice in the drought prone regions.