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Water relations, activities of antioxidants, ethylene evolution and membrane integrity of pigeonpea roots as affected by soil moisture

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Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The plants of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) cv. H77-216 were subjected to moderate [soil moisture content (SMC) = 7.3 ± 0.5 %] and severe (SMC = 4.3 ± 0.5 %) drought by withholding the irrigation at vegetative stage (45 d after sowing). The control plants were maintained at SMC of 11.0 ± 0.5 %. Half of the stressed plants were re-irrigated and their recovery was studied after 2 d. Leaf water potential, osmotic potential, and relative water content of leaf and root decreased significantly while a sharp rise in proline and total soluble sugars contents were noticed. Drought induced a significant increase in 1-aminocyclopropane 1-carboxylic acid (ACC) content and ACC oxidase activity which caused a considerable increase in ethylene evolution. Malondialdehyde content and relative stress injury were increased under drought whereas reverse was true for ascorbic acid content. The membrane integrity of roots decreased during stress and recovered on rehydration. The specific activity of total superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione transferase decreased to 37 – 78 %, 17 – 62 %, 29 – 36 % and 57 – 79 % at moderate and severe drought, respectively. The increase in activity of catalase and peroxidase could not overcome the accumulation of H2O2 content in the roots.

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Abbreviations

AA:

ascorbic acid

ACC:

1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid

ASC:

ascorbate

CAT:

catalase

CD:

critical difference

GR:

glutathione reductase

GSH:

glutathione

GTase:

glutathione transferase

MDA:

malondialdehyde

POX:

peroxidase

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

RWC:

relative water content

SMC:

soil moisture content

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

TSS:

total soluble sugars

Ψs :

osmotic potential

Ψw :

water potential

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, 125004, India

    M. Jain, A. S. Nandwal, B. Kumar, I. S. Sheoran, N. Kumar, A. Mann & S. Kukreja

  2. Department of Microbiology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, 125004, India

    B. S. Kundu

Authors
  1. M. Jain
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  2. A. S. Nandwal
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  3. B. S. Kundu
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  4. B. Kumar
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  5. I. S. Sheoran
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  6. N. Kumar
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  7. A. Mann
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  8. S. Kukreja
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Correspondence to A. S. Nandwal.

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Jain, M., Nandwal, A.S., Kundu, B.S. et al. Water relations, activities of antioxidants, ethylene evolution and membrane integrity of pigeonpea roots as affected by soil moisture. Biol Plant 50, 303–306 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-006-0026-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-006-0026-0

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