Abstract
In order to alleviate the shortage of irrigation water in dry regions, refining water use efficiency (WUE) is a key issue in sustainable productivity. Furthermore, glycinebetaine (GlyBet) is a vital osmoprotectant produced in crops for improving drought tolerance; however, little is known about its role in improving plant WUE under field conditions in non-accumulating plants such as cucumber. In order to elucidate the effectiveness of GlyBet concentrations (0, 2000, 4000, and 6000 mg/L) in mitigating the deleterious effects of drought (e.g., well-watered (1250 m(3)/fed), moderate drought (950 m(3)/fed), and severe drought (650 m(3)/fed)), field experiments were conducted at Elmia village, Dakahlia, Egypt in the 2020 and 2021 seasons on vegetative growth, some physiological attributes, as well as yield and quality. Drought considerably decreased vegetative growth, yield and its components, leaf relative water content, and photosynthetic pigment concentrations compared with well-watered plants while increasing electrolyte leakage. The most harmful causes were severe drought. However, exogenous spraying with GlyBet substantially boosted the mentioned attributes, but reduced electrolyte leakage within well-watering. Commonly 6000 mg/L contributed to the maximum growth and productivity, preserving cucumber plant water status above other concentrations or untreated plants. Under extreme drought, the application of 6000 mg/L GlyBet had a beneficial effect on moderating the damage of water deficit on cucumber plant growth and productivity. Overall, using GlyBet as a cost-effective and eco-friendly biostimulant six times (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 days from sowing) has the potential to mitigate drought damage while also increasing yield; however, more research is needed to determine the optimal rate and timing of application.