Enhancement of Drought Tolerance in Cucumber Plants by Natural Carbon Materials

Stress induced by climate change is a widespread and global phenomenon. Unexpected drought stress has a substantial effect on the growth and productivity of valuable crops. The effects of carbon materials on living organisms in response to abiotic stresses remain poorly understood. In this study, we proposed a new method for enhancing drought tolerance in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) using carbon nanotubes and natural carbon materials called shungite, which can be easily mixed into any soil. We analyzed the phenotype and physiological changes in cucumber plants grown under conditions of drought stress. Shungite-treated cucumber plants were healthier, with dark green leaves, than control plants when watering was withheld for 21 days. Furthermore, compared with the control cucumber group, in the shungite-treated plants, the monodehydroascorbate content of the leaf, which is a representative marker of oxidative damage, was 66% lower. In addition, major scavenger units of reactive oxygen species and related drought stress marker genes were significantly upregulated. These results indicate that successive pretreatment of soil with low-cost natural carbon material improved the tolerance of cucumber plants to drought stress.