Photosynthetic response and antioxidative activity of ‘Hass’ avocado cultivar treated with short-term low temperature

Abstract

To investigate the effects of short-term low temperatures, three-year-old avocado (Persea americana cv. Hass) seedlings were treated with 1, − 2, or − 5 °C for 1 h and subsequently recovered in ambient condition for 24 h. Leaf color changes were investigated with chlorophyll, carotenoid, and phenolic contents. Photosynthetic responses were examined using gas exchange analysis. With H2O2 contents as oxidative stresses, enzymatic (ascorbate peroxidase, APX; glutathione reductase, GR; catalase, CAT; peroxidase, POD) and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities were determined using spectrophotometry. Leaves in the avocado seedlings started to be discolored with changes in the contents of chlorophyll a, carotenoids, and phenolics when treated with − 5 °C. However, the H2O2 content was not different in leaves treated with low temperatures. Photosynthetic activities decreased in leaves in the seedlings treated with − 5 °C. Of antioxidant enzymes, APX and GR have high activities in leaves in the seedlings treated with 1 and − 2 °C. In leaves in the seedlings treated with − 5 °C, the activities of all enzymes decreased. Non-enzymatic antioxidant activity was not different among leaves treated with low temperatures. These results indicated that APX and GR would play a critical role in withstanding chilling stress in ‘Hass’ avocado seedlings. However, under lethal temperature, even for a short time, the plants suffered irreversible damage with the breakdown of photosystem and antioxidant system.

Phenology of hass avocado in the Andean tropics of Caldas, Colombia

“…The results obtained in this study show climatic differences between areas, which confirm the fact that climate has high influence on the vegetative and reproductive growth of avocado trees (CHUNG et al, 2022), since at level of these variables, the two areas under study also show important differences.…”

Comprehensive Assessment of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Papaya Extracts

“…Papaya cultivation has expanded from subtropical and tropical regions to temperate regions, including Japan and Korea. In these regions, greenhouse cultivation is essential because low temperatures in the winter season can damage subtropical and tropical crops, including avocado [ 4 ], coffee [ 5 ], papaya [ 6 ], and mango [ 7 ]. Greenhouse cultivation can affect fruit characteristics through artificial climatic conditions, including solar radiation, temperature, and irrigation [ 8 ].…”

Phenological variations of avocado cv. Hass and their relationship with thermal time under tropical conditions

“…In the context of avocado responses to temperature fluctuations, exposure to elevated temperatures has been observed to trigger a reduction in the photosynthesis rate, the accumulation of photosynthetic pigments, and a decrease in water use efficiency in plants [ 50 ]. Additionally, throughout the budding and flowering phases, variations in temperature have the capacity to impact the synthesis and accumulation of phytohormones, specifically auxins and gibberellins, which play essential roles in the growth and differentiation of flower buds [ 42 ].…”