Ionomic and metabolic responses to drought stress in elite wheat seedlings under two phosphorus levels

Abstract Background Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the main food crop in the worldwide. Low soil phosphorus levels and drought conditions are important constraints for wheat production in most of the areas where wheat is grown. In this study, the analysis of mineral elements and metabolites were used to investigate the ionomic and metabolic responses to drought stress of wheat plants cultured by low phosphorus (LP) and conventional phosphorus (CP) supply, respectively. Results We found that the wheat plants subjected to LP treatment had denser roots, and the total root volume was significantly higher than that under the CP treatment. The roots cultured by two phosphorus levels underwent the process of programmed cell death under drought stress, however, the genomic DNA degradation level of the roots in LP was significantly weaker than that in CP after rehydration for 3d. The analysis of mineral elements and metabolites showed that CP treatment was more sensitive to drought stress, and drought stress had more influence on the shoots of CP treatment than the roots. While the effect of drought stress on LP treatment roots were greater than that on shoots. With the extension of drought stress, the effect on sugar metabolism was greater. Conclusions The wheat plants under LP treatment was more adaptive to drought stress than that in CP treatment, which probably is based on the presence of the comprehensive mobilization of sugar metabolism responsible for the regulation of osmotic balance, as well as the accumulation of various organic acids responsible for the maintenance of the intracellular ion homeostasis.