Trehalose’s Role in Improving Drought Tolerance
- June Griffin
- May 14
- 5 min read
By June Griffin & David Santos, MBiotech
As drought conditions intensify, lush and resilient turfgrass can feel elusive. While traditional strategies focus on irrigation and drought-tolerant cultivars, emerging research highlights trehalose, a naturally occurring sugar, as a promising tool to enhance turfgrass drought tolerance. This blog post will delve into the role of trehalose in increasing drought tolerance, informed by the most recent advances in scientific research and literature.
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What is Trehalose?
Trehalose is a simple sugar made of two glucose units, which makes it a disaccharide, or a simple carbohydrate formed when two sugars join together [1]. Isolated, it is an odorless, white powder about 45% as sweet as sucrose [2]. It acts as an osmoprotectant, meaning it helps plants maintain cellular integrity under water-deficient conditions, like drought or high salinity. Naturally found in some plants, fungi, and microbes, trehalose works by stabilizing important proteins and cell membranes when conditions get dry.
This compound naturally increases in response to drought conditions and is present in some grass species, including Kentucky bluegrass, Seashore paspalum, and Tall fescue [3,4,5]. In turfgrass, this protective quality can improve the grass’s ability to survive dry spells and other environmental stressors.
Trehalose Naturally Improves Drought Tolerance
In plants, trehalose contributes to drought tolerance through several mechanisms, including:
Osmotic Adjustment
Membrane Stabilization
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Scavenging
Osmotic Adjustment
Trehalose accumulation helps maintain cell turgor by balancing osmotic pressure, enabling plants to retain water during drought stress. Trehalose supports osmotic adjustment, a process where cells balance water and solute levels to stay hydrated [6]. During drought, water in the soil becomes scarce, and plants risk losing water from their cells due to osmotic pressure, the force that pulls water toward areas with a higher solute concentration. Trehalose acts as an osmoprotectant, helping plants maintain cell structure and preventing water loss by balancing the concentration of solutes inside cells. This keeps plant cells stable, reduces damage, and improves recovery after drought stress.
Membrane Stabilization
Trehalose helps protect plant cells during drought by stabilizing cell membranes, which are the thin barriers that keep the contents of the cell together and control what enters or leaves [7]. Under drought stress, these membranes can become damaged or leaky, harming the cell. Trehalose is known to interact with phospholipids (the main building blocks of membranes), forming a protective layer that prevents the membranes from breaking down. By maintaining membrane integrity, trehalose helps the plant keep functioning and reduces long-term stress damage.
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Scavenging
Trehalose helps plants cope with drought by reducing oxidative stress, a type of cellular damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) [7]. During drought, plants produce excess ROS, which are unstable molecules that can damage proteins, DNA, and cell membranes. Trehalose can help by activating the plant’s natural antioxidant defenses, such as enzymes that neutralize ROS before they cause harm. By enhancing this ROS-scavenging system, trehalose supports plant survival under stress and helps turfgrass recover more quickly once favorable conditions return.
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Recent Research in Trehalose Applications
With trehalose being proven to naturally curb drought stress in plants, researchers have begun the attempt to artificially increase trehalose concentrations. One effort by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln showed promise in using an antibiotic that reduces the degradation of trehalose, helping natural effects last longer [8]. Additionally, trehalose-producing plants are being genetically engineered to better withstand water stressors. This has been done successfully in wheat plants by isolating and modifying the genes responsible for enzymes (like TPS and TPP) that produce trehalose. Such work involves genetic engineering and fermentation, coupled with biocatalysts.
Furthermore, some studies have had success with exogenous application of trehalose, or the physical application of excess trehalose to the plant. For example, foliar spraying, seed priming, and seed coating are all tested methods of trehalose application to crops, which have yielded improved drought tolerance amongst other benefits [7]. However, exogenous application is limited by poor absorption, which reduces the efficiency and effectiveness of trehalose. While trehalose is relatively abundant and affordable, this waste is undesirable. In an effort to combat this, scientists are now exploring the use of nanoformulations, where trehalose is encapsulated in nanoparticles to increase plant absorption. While this method is still developing and too expensive to scale, it reflects the growing applications of trehalose for crops and turfgrasses.
Conclusion
Trehalose is emerging as a powerful tool for drought-resilient turfgrass. By helping plants retain water, protect cellular membranes, and neutralize stress-related damage, this naturally occurring sugar supports healthier, greener turf during dry conditions. As research into enhanced delivery methods continues, trehalose may soon become a practical tool for golf course superintendents aiming to maintain high-performing turf with fewer inputs, even when water is in short supply.
References
[1] Shao, J., Wu, W., Rasul, F., Munir, H., Huang, K., Awan, M. I., Albishi, T. S., Arshad, M., Hu, Q., Huang, G., Hassan, M. U., Aamer, M., & Qari, S. H. (2022). Trehalose induced drought tolerance in plants: Physiological and molecular responses. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 50(1), 12584. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha50112584
[2] Eh, T.-J., Jiang, Y., Jiang, M., Li, J., Lei, P., Ji, X., Kim, H.-I., Zhao, X., & Meng, F. (2024). The role of trehalose metabolism in plant stress tolerance. Journal of Advanced Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2024.12.025
[3] Perlikowski, D., Augustyniak, A., Skirycz, A., Pawłowicz, I., Masajada, K., Michaelis, A., & Kosmala, A. (2019). Efficient root metabolism improves drought resistance of Festuca arundinacea. Plant and Cell Physiology, 61(3), 492–504. https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcz215
[4] Sun, G., Wase, N., Shu, S., Jenkins, J., Zhou, B., Torres-Rodríguez, J. V., Chen, C., Sandor, L., Plott, C., Yoshinga, Y., Daum, C., Qi, P., Barry, K., Lipzen, A., Berry, L., Pedersen, C., Gottilla, T., Foltz, A., Yu, H., … Schnable, J. C. (2022). Genome of Paspalum vaginatum and the role of trehalose mediated autophagy in increasing maize biomass. Nature Communications, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35507-8
[5] Wang, Y., Cui, T., Niu, K., & Ma, H. (2021). Comparison and characterization of oxidation resistance and carbohydrate content in CD-tolerant and -sensitive Kentucky bluegrass under CD stress. Agronomy, 11(11), 2358. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112358
[6] Chen, H., & Jiang, J.-G. (2010). Osmotic adjustment and plant adaptation to environmental changes related to drought and salinity. Environmental Reviews, 18(NA), 309–319. https://doi.org/10.1139/a10-014
[7] Al Hinai, M. S., Rehman, A., Siddique, K. H., & Farooq, M. (2025). The role of trehalose in improving drought tolerance in wheat. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 211(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/jac.70053
[8] Schrage, S. (2022, December 21). Pitch-perfect: Study of World Cup’s turfgrass may help crops yield more from less. Office of Research and Innovation. https://research.unl.edu/blog/pitch-perfect-study-of-world-cups-turfgrass-may-help-crops-yield-more-from-less/
