TITLE:
Identification of Leaf Based Physiological Markers for Drought Susceptibility during Early Seedling Development of Mungbean
AUTHORS:
Puspendu Dutta, Pintoo Bandopadhyay, A. K. Bera
KEYWORDS:
Leaf, Lipid Peroxidation, Mungbean, Physiological Markers, Water Stress
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.7 No.14,
September
30,
2016
ABSTRACT: Drought is a recurrent
phenomenon in many of the countries. Moisture stress during seedling stage is
very critical in determining the establishment of the crop and its further
development and yield. Identifying drought tolerance mechanism and physiological
markers of drought susceptibility is this crop during seedling stress would be useful tool in future genetic manipulation programme to establish
drought tolerance in this crop. Thus the present study aimed for quickly
identifying reliable physiological markers for drought susceptibility through
evaluation of physiological and biochemical changes in leaves of two
contrasting mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) cultivars i.e. K 851
(drought tolerant) and PDM 84-139 (drought susceptible) during seedling
development. A range of four external water
potentials (i.e. -1.0,
-2.0, -3.0 and -4.0 bars), besides glass distilled water as control (0.0 bar),
was used. Parameters like leaf area, relative leaf water content,
chlorophyll content, chlorophyll stability indices in both the cultivars were
decreased with the increasing magnitude of stress. By and large phenols and
ascorbic acid content were increased with the stress level but the trend was
not consistent. A steady rise in proline, hydrogen peroxide content and lipid
peroxidation was found with water stress. Out of two cultivars tested, drought
tolerant cultivar K 851 was better in leaf water balance and higher
accumulation of phenols, proline and ascorbic acid than PDM 84-139. The
correlation study indicated lipid peroxidation and H2O2 content as valuable physiological markers for screening of drought
susceptibility.