Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO), as a new signal molecular, is now proved to be involved in plant development and resistances to many biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, an experiment was conducted to assess the effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, on both morphological and physiological characteristics of maize under waterlogging stress. Results showed that SNP could increase height, dry weight and activities of catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, and decrease MDA content and ion leakage ratio under waterlogging stress. This finding shed light on the fact that NO can improve the resistance to waterlogging. To our knowledge, it is the first report of NO function in waterlogging.

Key words: Nitric oxide, maize, waterlogging, antioxidant enzyme.