Screening for Drought Resistance: Evaluation of Drought Susceptibility Index of Legume Plants under Natural Growth Conditions

Abstract

Eighteen cultivars of legume species (field bean, soybean, field pea, lupine) were screened for drought tolerance in 3 year‐long field experiments. The aim of the investigations was to evaluate the generic variation of drought susceptibility of the tested varieties. The experimental plots were equipped with an installation which enabled the limitation of the water content in soil and soil irrigation. The applied drought susceptibility index (DSI) considered the relations between seed yield of plants under drought conditions (YD) and that under conditions of good soil watering (YIR) as well as their dependence on the drought severity index (DS). The use of the index divided the cultivars into two groups of different drought tolerances. The group of drought resistant cultivars characterized by mean values of the DSI index < 0.31 comprised field bean cultivars Bourdon, Gobo and Nadwislanski, soybean cultivars Aldana, Polan and Progres, field pea cultivars Miko and Solara and lupine cultivars Popiel and Bac. To the drought sensitive cultivars with DSI > 0.44 belonged Victor and Bronto of field bean species, Bareness and Mige of field pea species and Emir of lupine species. In general, the resistant cultivars when compared with the susceptible ones were characterized by lesser yield of seeds, which, however, was more stable both under conditions of drought and moistured plots. Any dependence of the degree of drought tolerance on the duration of the particular periods of plant growth was not observed in the experiments, however, both in’ drought susceptible and drought resistant cultivars there appeared the tendency to shorten the development phases under drought and to prolong them under artificial irrigation. In general, based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that legume plants belong to the species sensitive to water supply. The observed decrease of plant seed yield under moderate natural soil dryness in the year 1993 differed only a little from that found in experiments in the years 1994 and 1995, when soil dryness was much more severe.

Screening techniques and sources of resistance to abiotic stresses in cool-season food legumes

“…Membrane damage was not only found after exposure to drought stress in pea (Alexieva et al, 2001), but was also a suitable screening technique for drought-tolerance rating in legume species and cultivars (Grzesiak et al, 1996b;chickpea: Gupta et al, 2000;Deshmukh & Kushwaha, 2002). Heat stress decreased membrane stability in faba bean leaf discs (Hamada, 2001).…”

Effects of root flooding and stage of development on the growth and photosynthesis of field bean (Vicia faba L. minor)

“…The knowledge of hypoxia tolerance and the physiological effects of flooding on field bean plants are inadequate compared to that of the effects of water shortage on this crop (Hebblwthwaite 1982;Grzesiak et al 1989a, b;Kościelniak et al 1989;Grzesiak et al 1996a, b). The aim of this study was to address this shortcoming by evaluating some effects of flooding on the growth and photosynthesis of field bean plants at the vegetative and generative development stages.…”

Genotypic variation between maize (Zea mays L.) single cross hybrids in response to drought stress

“…Measurements of different physiological processes of plants responses to drought are important information on the various strategies of the plant intended to remove or to reduce the harmful effects of water deficit in soil or plant tissues. The field tests, however, require the solution of a number of methodological problems to enable the control of water content in soil by irrigation or by limiting the inflow of water from rainfall (Richards and Thurling 1978, Kowalik 1989, Beneett 1990, Evans et al 1990, Acevedo et al 1991, Jones 1993, Grzesiak et al 1996a. Also field experiments are often necessary for the purpose of verifying the results of tolerance estimation conducted on the basis of physiological laboratory tests (Clarke and McCaig 1982, Clark 1990.…”

“…It is also necessary for the laboratory testing method to be characterized by significant correlation with drought resistance observed in field conditions (Wright 1971, Richards 1987, Sullivan and Ross 1979, Blum et al 1980, Bouslama and Schapauch 1984, Hanson and Nelson 1985, Kpoghomou et al 1990, Grzesiak 1990, Grzesiak et al 1996a, 1997a. The main laboratory methods suggested for screening for droght tolerance in crop plants were: germination in osmoticum substances (mannitol, PEG) and growth or survival of young seedlings subjected to soil or simulated water stress and heat temperature stress (Sullivan and Ross 1979, Trapani and Gentinetta 1984, Martiniello and Lorenzoni, 1985 and leaf injury, leaf water content, leaf temperature and parameters of leaf gaseous exchange (Markowski and Grzesiak 1984a, Grzesiak 1990,1992, Passioura et al 1993, Faraquhar et al 1993, Dubey 1997.…”