NL Journal of Agriculture and Biotechnology
(ISSN: 3048-9679)

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Role of Brassinosteroids (BRs) in Alleviating the Effect of Irrigation Water Deficiency in “Crimson Seedless” Grape Cultivar

Author(s) : Salwa Adel Bedrech*, Abdelgawad S. Ahmed, Ahmed Y. El-Samman.
DOI : 10.71168/NAB.03.02.146

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Abstract

Water deficit is one of the most important abiotic stresses limiting grapevine growth, yield, and quality, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant hormones known to enhance physiological and biochemical tolerance to water stress in various crops. This study was conducted during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons, using a randomized complete block design (RCBD), and results were discussed separately for each season. The objective was to evaluate the effects of foliar BR application at three concentrations combined with different irrigation levels on the performance of the ‘Crimson Seedless’ grapevine. Treatments consisted of three BR concentrations (0, 0.75, and 1.5 ppm) combined with three irrigation levels (100% ET₀ as control, 75%, and 50% ET₀). Brassinosteroids were applied at the beginning of vegetative growth, after flowering, and two weeks before veraison, while irrigation regimens were scheduled based on crop evapotranspiration (ET₀). Results showed that foliar application of BR at 1.5 ppm under 75% ET₀ irrigation deficit exhibited superior performance in most vegetative and reproductive parameters. In contrast, ABA concentration was comparatively higher under BR at 0 ppm combined with 50 % ET₀. These findings highlight the potential of BR application as a practical strategy to optimize water use efficiency and improve grapevine performance under limited water availability. Keywords: “Crimson Seedless” cv., Brassinosteroids, Deficit irrigation, ABA Concentration.

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