PROLINE CONTENT AND STOMATAL RESISTANCE OF ALMOND SEEDLINGS AS AFFECTED BY IRRIGATION INTERVALS

The response to drought stress of almond seedlings from some Iranian almond populations was evaluated by measuring some growth parameters as well as the physiological response including proline content, leaf water potential and stomatal resistance in order to find a possible source of drought tolerance for selection and breeding programmes.
Leaf area, shoot length, shoot and root dry weight and leaf water potential were reduced by increasing the irrigation intervals, while proline content and stomatal resistance were increased.
At lower levels of water stress, adaptation to water availability by reduction in stomatal resistance was observed after an initial increase.
However, at higher levels of stress stomatal resistance remained high.
Proline content, when measured in subsequent days, showed a sharp increase after an initial steady state.
There were no significant differences between populations in the physiological response.
However, for growth parameters, it was possible to find differences between populations in shoot dry weight, and those from drier origins were more efficient in accumulating dry weight under restricted water conditions.
There were also no differences between bitter and sweet almonds for drought tolerance.

III International Symposium on Pistachios and Almonds

Z. Zamani, A. Taheri, A. Vezvaei, K. Poustini

porometer, drought tolerance, growth parameters, water stress, Prunus dulcis

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.591.63