Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, cilt.23, sa.11, ss.2173-2181, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Drought is a significant factor in plant development and crop productivity. Therefore, this study focuses on investigating the impact
of drought stress, which is particularly critical for Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), the most important staple food for the global
population. The study is designed to assess the extent of drought stress experienced by wheat during its growth stages and the
importance of increasing soil water retention capacity to mitigate the stress caused by existing drought conditions. In the study, the
first group of germinated wheat seedlings was subjected to drought stress during three different stages: seedling, growth, and filling
periods. The other group of wheat seedlings received the addition of Natural Aquatic organic supplement to enhance soil water
retention capacity and was subjected to the same drought stress conditions. At the end of the process, samples obtained from the
applications were compared with control group samples grown without exposure to drought stress, in terms of their genetic stability
and changes in antioxidant enzyme levels. The results of the Inter Retrotransposon Amplified Polymorphism marker analysis
indicated that drought stress induces retrotransposon mobility, thereby affecting the genetic stability of wheat. Particularly, it was
found that drought stress during the seedling stage is more effective compared to stress experienced in subsequent stages. Analysis
results also revealed that drought stress alters the levels of Superoxide Dismutase, Catalase, and Malondialdehyde, with early-stage
drought showing a more pronounced effect. Comparing the values of polymorphisms caused by retrotransposon mobility and
genetic stability values between wheat samples exposed only to drought stress and those supplemented with Natural Aquatic
organic addition to increase soil water retention capacity, it was evident that the addition mitigated drought stress. This was further
supported by changes in Superoxide Dismutase, Catalase, and Malondialdehyde values. The study concluded that increasing soil
water retention capacity or early-stage irrigation contributes to plant development and stability.