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Mechanisms for drought resistance in early maturing cvar Flordastar peach trees

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2011

C. D. MELLISHO ,
Z. N. CRUZ ,
W. CONEJERO ,
M. F. ORTUÑO  and
P. RODRÍGUEZ
C. D. MELLISHO
Affiliation:
Dpto. Riego, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC), P.O. Box 164, E-30100 Espinardo (Murcia), Spain
Z. N. CRUZ
Affiliation:
Dpto. Fisiología y Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (INCA), Ctra. de Tapaste, km 3.5. San José de Las Lajas (La Habana), Cuba
W. CONEJERO*
Affiliation:
Dpto. Riego, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC), P.O. Box 164, E-30100 Espinardo (Murcia), Spain
M. F. ORTUÑO
Affiliation:
Dpto. Riego, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC), P.O. Box 164, E-30100 Espinardo (Murcia), Spain
P. RODRÍGUEZ
Affiliation:
Dpto. Fisiología y Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (INCA), Ctra. de Tapaste, km 3.5. San José de Las Lajas (La Habana), Cuba
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: wenceslao@cebas.csic.es
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Summary

Adult early maturing peach trees (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch cvar Flordastar) grafted onto P. persica×Prunus amygdalus GF-677 peach rootstock, were subjected to low water availability (water stress) and recovery periods for 28 and 7 days, respectively, during summer 2009. Control plants were irrigated daily at 1·3 estimated crop reference evapotranspiration (ETC) in order to obtain non-limiting soil water conditions. Active osmotic adjustment was observed at the end of the stress period. However, the magnitude of this osmotic adjustment (0·18 MPa) was not sufficient to modify the leaf water potential at turgor loss point. The observed active osmotic adjustment that maintained turgor was in contrast to other results in potted peach trees, where no osmotic adjustment was observed, and highlights the importance of field studies in which water stress is developed gradually over a prolonged period. Relative apoplastic water content (RWCa) values were high and decreased as a result of water stress. The rapid decrease in leaf conductance from the beginning of the stress period, together with the delay in stomatal reopening after rewatering, indicated that stomatal behaviour was not a simple passive response to water deficit. The results indicate that drought resistance in early maturing peach trees is based both on avoidance mechanisms, such as stomatal control and tolerance mechanisms, including active osmotic adjustment and high RWCa.

Information

Type
Crops and Soils
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 149 , Issue 5 , October 2011 , pp. 609 - 616
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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