Document Type : Research paper

Authors

1 Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

2 Horticultural Division, Seeds and Plant Improvement Institute, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

This study was undertaken to identify morphological changes in young seedlings of 5 Iranian almond species (Prunus dulcis, P. eburnea, P. eleagnifolia, P. haussknechti, and P. scoparia) under polyethylene glycol-induced drought stress. Drought stress caused a significant reduction in plant growth parameters such as fresh and dry weights of plant organs, leaf number, total leaf area, and leaf relative water content in all almond species. Specific leaf weight also increased significantly in drought-treated plants compared to control. No significant changes in shoot length, individual leaf area, leaf dimension (length and width), or stomatal size and frequency were observed in response to drought treatments. P. eburnea had the highest relative water content among the species and showed the smallest decrease in fresh and dry weights of organs and greatest decrease in leaf number and total leaf area (the most reduction in transpiration area) as an adaptive mechanism to drought stress.

Keywords

1. Aasamaa, K., A. Sober and M. Rahi. 2001. Leaf Anatomical Characteristics Associated whit Shoot Hydraulic Conductance, Stomatal Conductance and Stomatal Sensitivity to Changes of Leaf Water Status in Temperate Deciduous Trees. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 28:765- 774.
2. Ali, M.A., K. Jabran, S.I. Awan, A. Abbas, E. Ehsanullah, M. Zulkiffal, T. Acet, J. Farooq and A. Rehman. 2011. Morpho-physiological Diversity and its Implications for Improving Drought Tolerance in Grain Sorghum at Different Growth Stages. Aust. J. Crop Sci. 5(3):311-320.
3. Alimohammadi, A., B. Shiran, P. MartinezGomez and E. Ebrahimie. 2013. Identification of Water-Deficit Resistance Genes in Wild Almond Prunus scoparia Using cDNA-AFLP. Scientia Hort. 159:19-28.
4. Arji, A. and K. Arzani. 2000. Growth Response and Prolin Accumulation in Three Variety of Iranian Olive to Drought Stress. J. Agr. Sci. 10:91-100.
5. Bacelar, E.A., J.M. Moutinho-Pereira, B.C. Goncalves, J.I. Lopes and C.M. Correia. 2009. Physiological Responses of Different Olive Genotypes to Drought Conditions. Acta Physiol. Plant. 31(3):611-621.
6. Baninasab, B. and M. Rahemi. 2007. Evaluation of Three Wild Species of Almond on the Basis of Their Morphological Characters. J. Plant Sci. 2:61-67.
7. Blum, A. and C.Y. Sullivan. 1986. The Comparative Drought Resistance of Landraces of Sorghum and Millet from Dry and Humid Regions. Annu. Bot. 57:838-846.
8. Boussadia, O., F. Ben Mariem, B. Mechri, W. Boussetta, M. Braham and S. Ben El-Hadj. 2008. Response to Drought of Two Olive Tree Cultivars (cv. Koroneki and Meski). Scientia Hort. 116(4):388-393.
9. Campalans, A., M. Pages and R. Messegure. 2001. Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes by the cdna-AFLP Technique during Dehydration of Almond (Prunus amygdalus). Tree Physiol. 21:633-643.
10. Dichio, B., C. Xiloyannis, A. Sofo and G. Montanaro. 2007. Effects of Postharvest Regulated Deficit Irrigation on Carbohydrate and Nitrogen Partitioning, Yield Quality and Vegetative Growth of Peach Trees. Plant Soil 290:127-137.
11. Fanizza, G. and A. Reina. 1990. Response of Amygdalus communis and Amygdalus webbii Seedlings to Water Stress. XXIII International Horticultural Congress, Firenze, Italy, p. 474 (abstr.).
12. Faraloni, C., I. Cutino, R. Petruccelli, A.R. Leva, S. Lazzeri and G. Torzillo. 2011. Chlorophyll Fluorescence Technique as a Rapid Tool for In Vitro Screening of Olive Cultivars (Olea europaea L.) Tolerant to Drought Stress. Environ. Exp. Bot. 73:49-56.
13. Gholami, M., M. Rahemi and B. Kholdebarin. 2010. Effect of Drought Stress Induced by Polyethylene Glycol on Seed Germination of Four Wild Almond Species. Aust. J. Basic Appl. Sci. 4(5):785-791.
14. Gomez-del, C., M.C. Ruiz and J.R. Lissarrague. 2002. Effect of Water Stress on Leaf Area Development, Photosynthesis and Productivity in Chardonnay and Airen Grapevine. Amer. J. Enol. Vitic. 53:138-143.
15. Gradziel, T.M., P. Martinez-Gomez, F. Dicenta and D.E. Kester. 2001. The Utilization of Prunus Species for Almond Variety Improvement. J. Amer. Pomol. Soc. 55:100-108.
16. Gucci, R., R. Massai, C. Xiloyannis and J.A. Flore. 1996. The Effect of Drought and Vapour Pressure Deficit on Gas Exchange of Young Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa var. deliciosa) vines. Ann. Bot. 77:605-613.
17.Jones, H.G. and J.E. Cortlett. 1992. Current Topics in Drought Physiology. J. Agr. 119:291- 296.
18. Kester, D.E. and T.M. Gradiziel. 1996. Almonds. In: Janick, J. and J.N. Moore (ed.). Fruit Breeding, Vol. 3: Nuts. John Willey and Sons, New York, pp: 1-97.
19. Kirnak, H., C. Kaya, I. Tas and D. Higgs. 2001. The Influences of Water Deficit on Vegetative Growth, Physiology, Fruit Yield and Quality in Eggplants. Bulg. J. Plant Physiol. 27(3-4):34-46.
20. Kramer, P.J. 1983. Water Relations of Plants. Agronomy 70:630-634.
21. Krause, S.C., K.F. Raffa and M.R. Wagner. 1993. Tree Response to Stress: a Role in Sawfly Outbreaks? pp. 211-227. In: M.R. Wagner and K.F. Raffa (eds.) Sawfly life history adaptations to woody plants. Academic Press, New York.
22. Levitt, J. (ed.). 1980. Responses of Plants to Environmental Stresses. Volume 2: Water, radiation, salt, and other stresses. Academic Press, Toronto, 479 p.
23. Liu, B., L. Cheng, F. Ma, Y. Zou and D. Liang. 2012. Growth, Biomass Allocation, and Water Use Efficiency of 31 Apple Cultivars Grown Under Two Water Regimes. Agrofor. Sys. 84(2):117-129.
24. Manuela, M.C., P.M. Joao and S.P. Joao. 2003. Understanding Plant Responses to Drought from Genes to the Whole Plant. Funct. Plant Biol. 30:239-264.
25. Martinez, J.P., H. Silva, J.F. Ledent and M. Pinto. 2007. Effect of Drought Stress on the Osmotic Adjustment, Cell Wall Elasticity and Cell Volume of Six Cultivars of Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Eur. J. Agron. 26:30-38.
26. Martinez, X.D. 2010. Effects of Irrigation and Nitrogen Application on Vegetative Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality in Peaches (Prunus persica L. Batsch Cv. Andross) for Processing. Lleida University, Spain, PhD Diss.
27. Meister, M.H. and H.R. Bolhar-Nordenkampf. 2001. Stomata Imprints: a New and Quick Method to Count Stomata and Epidermis Cells. pp. 235-250. In: M.J. Reigosa-Roger (ed.). Handbook of plant ecophysiology techniques. Kluver Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.
28. Michel, B.E. and M.R. Kaufmann. 1973. The Osmotic Potential of Polyethylene Glycol 6000. Plant Physiol. 51:914-916.
29. Palasciano, M., S. Camposeo and A. Godini. 2005. Stomatal Size and Frequency in Wild and Cultivated Almonds. Opt. Med. 63:305-310.
30.Rieger, M. and M.J. Duemmel. 1992. Comparison of Drought Resistance Among Prunus Species from Divergent Habitats. Tree Physiol. 11:369-380.
31. Rieger, M., R. Lo Bianco and W.R. Okie. 2003. Responses of Prunus ferganensis, Prunus persica and Two Interspecific Hybrids to Moderate Drought Stress. Tree Physiol. 23:51-58.
32. Shao, H.B., L.Y. Chu, C. Abdul-Jaleel and C.X. Zhao. 2008. Water-Deficit Stress-Induced Anatomical Changes in Higher Plants. Compt. Rend. Biol. 331:215-225.
33. Sircelj, H., M. Tausz, D. Grill and F. Batic. 2007. Detecting Different Levels of Drought Stress in Apple Trees (Malus domestica Borkh.) with Selected Biochemical and Physiological Parameters. Scientia Hort. 113:362-369.
34. Sorkheh, K., B. Shiran, M. Khodambshi, V. Rouhi and S. Ercisli. 2012. In vitro Assay of Native Iranian Almond Species (Prunus L. Spp.) for Drought Tolerance. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult. 105(3):395-404.
35. Sorkheh, K., B. Shiran, V. Rouhi, E. Asadi, H. Jahanbazi, H. Moradi, T.M. Gradziel and P. Martinez-Gomez. 2009. Phenotypic Diversity within Native Iranian Almond (Prunus spp.) Species and their Breeding Potential. Genet. Resour. Crop Evol. 56:947-961.
36. Tanaka, Y., T. Sano, M. Tamaoki, N. Nakajima, N. Kondo and S. Hasezana. 2005. Ethylene Inhibits Abscisic Acid-Induced Stomatal Closure in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 138:2337-2343.
37. Xu, Z.Z. and G.S. Zhou. 2005. Effects of Water Stress and High Nocturnal Temperature on Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Level of a Perennial Grass Leymus chinensis. Plant Soil 269:131-139.
38. Yadollahi, A., K. Arzani, A. Ebadi, M. Wirthensohn and S. Karimi. 2011. The Response of Different Almond Genotypes to Moderate and Severe Water Stress in order to Screen for Drought Tolerance. Scientia Hort. 129:403-413.
39. Zamani, Z., A. Taheri, A. Vezvaei and K. Poustini. 2002. Proline Content and Stomata Resistance of Almond Seedlings Affected by Irrigation Intervals. Acta Hort. 591:411-416.