Physiological and Biochemical Adaptations to Repeated Drought–Rehydration Cycles in Ochroma lagopus Swartz: Implications for Growth and Stress Resilience

Yuanxi Liu; Jianli Sun; Cefeng Dai; Guanben Du; Rui Shi; Junwen Wu

doi:10.3390/plants14111636

journal article Open Access May 27, 2025

Physiological and Biochemical Adaptations to Repeated Drought–Rehydration Cycles in Ochroma lagopus Swartz: Implications for Growth and Stress Resilience

Yuanxi Liu Jianli Sun Cefeng Dai Guanben Du Rui Shi

Junwen Wu

Plants Vol. 14 No. 11 pp. 1636 · MDPI AG

View at Publisher Save 10.3390/plants14111636

Abstract

Ochroma lagopus Swartz is a rapidly growing plant known for its lightweight wood; it is widely utilized for timber production and ecological restoration. We investigated the effects of different numbers of drought–rehydration cycles on O. lagopus seedlings cultivated at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The experiment comprised three treatments: normal watering (CK, 80–85% field capacity), one drought–rehydration cycle (D1, one rewatering), and three drought–rehydration cycles (D2, three rewaterings). We characterized the effects of these treatments on seedling growth, biomass allocation, non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, proline content, and soluble protein content. The number of drought–rehydration cycles had a significant effect on the growth characteristics and physiological and biochemical properties of leaves. As the number of drought–rehydration cycles increased, the height increased significantly (by 17.17% under D2). The leaf biomass ratio, soluble sugar content, and starch content decreased (15.05%, 15.79%, and 46.92% reductions under the D2 treatment); the stem biomass ratio and root biomass ratio increased; CAT activity increased and then decreased (it was highest at 343.67 mg·g−1·min−1 under D1); and the POD and SOD activities, the MDA content, the soluble protein content, and the soluble sugar/starch ratio increased significantly (395.42%, 461.82%, 74.72%, 191.07%, and 59.79% higher under D2). The plasticity of growth was much greater than that of physiological and biochemical traits. In summary, O. lagopus seedlings adapted to multiple drought–rehydration cycles by increasing the accumulation of soluble proteins (likely associated with osmotic protection), activating enzymes (POD and SOD), promoting the conversion of NSCs (increasing stored carbon consumption), and allocating more biomass to plant height growth than to diameter expansion. Under climate change scenarios with intensified drought frequency, elucidating the drought resistance mechanisms of O. lagopus is critical to silvicultural practices in tropical plantation.

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Details

Published: May 27, 2025
Vol/Issue: 14(11)
Pages: 1636
License: View

Authors

Y

Yuanxi Liu

College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

J

Jianli Sun

College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

C

Cefeng Dai

College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

G

Guanben Du

College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

R

Rui Shi

Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of In-Forest Resource, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

J

Junwen Wu

College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China Award: 32071688

Cite This Article

Yuanxi Liu, Jianli Sun, Cefeng Dai, et al. (2025). Physiological and Biochemical Adaptations to Repeated Drought–Rehydration Cycles in Ochroma lagopus Swartz: Implications for Growth and Stress Resilience. Plants, 14(11), 1636. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14111636

Physiological and Biochemical Adaptations to Repeated Drought–Rehydration Cycles in Ochroma lagopus Swartz: Implications for Growth and Stress Resilience

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