San Miguel Yessica, Santelices-Moya Rómulo, Cabrera-Ariza Antonio M, Ramos Patricio
Plant Microorganism Interaction Laboratory, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460787, Chile.
Centro del Secano, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas y Forestales, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3466706, Chile.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Jul 9;14(14):2118. doi: 10.3390/plants14142118.
Climate change has intensified drought stress, threatening global food security by affecting sensitive crops like maize (). This study evaluated the potential of Antarctic fungal endophytes ( and ) to enhance maize drought tolerance under field conditions with different irrigation regimes. Drought stress reduced soil moisture to 59% of field capacity. UAV-based multispectral imagery monitored plant physiological status using vegetation indices (NDVI, NDRE, SIPI, GNDVI). Inoculated plants showed up to two-fold higher index values under drought, indicating improved stress resilience. Physiological analysis revealed increased photochemical efficiency (0.775), higher chlorophyll and carotenoid contents (45.54 mg/mL), and nearly 80% lower lipid peroxidation in inoculated plants. Lower proline accumulation suggested better water status and reduced osmotic stress. Secondary metabolites such as phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins were elevated, particularly under well-watered conditions. Antioxidant enzyme activity shifted: SOD, CAT, and APX were suppressed, while POD activity increased, indicating reprogrammed oxidative stress responses. Yield components, including cob weight and length, improved significantly with inoculation under drought. These findings demonstrate the potential of Antarctic endophytes to enhance drought resilience in maize and underscore the value of integrating microbial biotechnology with UAV-based remote sensing for sustainable crop management under climate-induced water scarcity.
气候变化加剧了干旱胁迫，通过影响玉米等敏感作物威胁全球粮食安全。本研究评估了南极真菌内生菌（和）在不同灌溉制度的田间条件下增强玉米耐旱性的潜力。干旱胁迫将土壤湿度降低至田间持水量的59%。基于无人机的多光谱图像利用植被指数（归一化植被指数、归一化差值红边指数、结构不敏感色素指数、绿色归一化植被指数）监测植物生理状态。接种植物在干旱条件下的指数值高出两倍，表明胁迫恢复力提高。生理分析显示，接种植物的光化学效率提高（0.775），叶绿素和类胡萝卜素含量更高（45.54毫克/毫升），脂质过氧化降低近80%。脯氨酸积累较低表明水分状况较好，渗透胁迫降低。酚类、黄酮类和花青素等次生代谢产物有所增加，特别是在水分充足的条件下。抗氧化酶活性发生变化：超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶和抗坏血酸过氧化物酶受到抑制，而过氧化物酶活性增加，表明氧化应激反应重新编程。在干旱条件下接种后，包括穗轴重量和长度在内的产量构成因素显著改善。这些发现证明了南极内生菌增强玉米干旱恢复力的潜力，并强调了将微生物生物技术与基于无人机的遥感相结合以应对气候引起的水资源短缺进行可持续作物管理的价值。
