Background: Low soil temperature in spring is a major constraint for cultivation of tropical crops in temperate climates, associated with impaired seedling development, inhibition of root growth and root activity. In this study, potential cold-stress protectants, such as supplemented micronutrients (Zn, Mn), seaweed extracts, and rhizobacteria with plant growth-promoting potential (PGPRs) were tested in order to improve the tolerance of maize to low root zone temperatures (RZT) during early growth.

Methods: Maize (v. Colisee) was cultivated in a root cooling system for adjustment of the RZT. In three independent experiments, after germination at 20 degrees C, the cold-stress phase (12-14 degrees C) started at 14 days after sowing to simulate a cold period in spring. Micronutrients, seaweed extracts, and PGPRs were supplied by fertigation (experiment 1), fertigation and seed dressing (experiment 2), and nutrient seed priming (experiment 3). At the end of the experiments, scoring of oxidative leaf damage, biomass production, chlorophyll status (SPAD), root length density, superoxide dismutase activities in leaf and root tissues, and the shoot mineral-nutritional status were determined.

Results: Positive effects on plant growth and particularly on root development at low RZT were detected exclusively for seaweed extracts with high Zn/Mn contents and similar growth promotions were induced by Zn and Mn application in comparable amounts. This finding suggests that the selected seaweed extracts were mainly acting via improved Zn and Mn supply to the plants. It was essential that the cold-stress protectants were present during seed imbibition. The beneficial effect of Zn/Mn treatments and sea weed extracts was associated with increased superoxide dismutase activity in the root and leaf tissue, with key functions in antioxidative stress defense, depending on Zn, Mn, Cu, and Fe as enzymatic co-factors. Accordingly, leaf damage, shoot and root growth inhibition in cold-stressed plants was associated with a low Zn-nutritional status, mitigated by application of the cold-stress protectants.

Conclusions: Since micronutrients are effective already at low concentrations, starter applications of Zn/Mn or the respective seaweed extracts may offer an economic option for cold-stress prophylaxis in crops.