Melatonin Increases Drought Resistance by Regulating Wheat Root Morphology

The study by Zhihui Zhang et al. found that melatonin significantly improves the drought resistance of wheat plants by regulating their root and root hair morphology. The research used a RhizoPot to observe the effects of melatonin treatment under drought conditions. The results showed that melatonin increased root length, surface area, volume, and average diameter, and also improved the lifespan and survival percentage of fine root, lateral root, and root hair. Additionally, melatonin alleviated the inhibitory effect of drought on shoot morphology, including plant height, dry weight, net photosynthesis, and stomatal aperture of leaves. The study suggests that melatonin could be used to enhance the drought resistance of wheat plants, but further research is needed to understand the detailed mechanism of this regulation.