Articles
INVESTIGATING THE RESPONSE OF STRAWBERRY TO WATER DEFICIT CONDITIONS
Article number
838_28
Pages
169 – 174
Language
English
Abstract
To investigate how the cultivated strawberry Fragaria x ananassa responded to soil water deficits, we undertook experiments to ascertain the behaviour of ten short-day cultivars to water-limited conditions.
The plants were grown in containers in a polythene tunnel under two irrigation regimes: Control (100% crop evapotranspiration (ETp)) or Deficit irrigation (approx. 69% ETp). Traits were measured with a view to determining the complex relationship between yield potential, drought tolerance, and water use efficiency (WUE). A significant decrease in the predawn leaf water potentials (Ψl) of the deficit-irrigated plants indicated that a stress had been imposed.
At midday, the variation in water potential between cultivars suggested that some tolerated drought better than others.
This was partly due to some of the cultivars reducing stomatal conductance more than others.
Indices derived from thermal imaging of the leaves were found to be more stable than measurements using a porometer and showed more clear and consistent differences between cultivars.
Carbon isotope composition of leaves, fruit, and crowns showed an increase in photosynthetic water-use efficiency (WUE) in deficit-irrigated plants, with a significant difference between cultivars, indicating that there was variation within F. x ananassa. Consequently, carbon isotope composition and thermal imaging, which potentially relate to WUE, were found to be the most suitable screening tools for further investigations.
The traits that most accurately reflect differences in WUE will next be optimised for use in screening large numbers of genotypes.
We have crossed a drought tolerant accession of F chiloensis with F. x ananassa to produce a progeny segregating for WUE in order to map quantitative trait loci (QTL). Molecular markers that are closely linked to QTL on the genetic map will be identified so that they can be employed in the development of cultivars that are capable of performing well under conditions of drought stress.
The plants were grown in containers in a polythene tunnel under two irrigation regimes: Control (100% crop evapotranspiration (ETp)) or Deficit irrigation (approx. 69% ETp). Traits were measured with a view to determining the complex relationship between yield potential, drought tolerance, and water use efficiency (WUE). A significant decrease in the predawn leaf water potentials (Ψl) of the deficit-irrigated plants indicated that a stress had been imposed.
At midday, the variation in water potential between cultivars suggested that some tolerated drought better than others.
This was partly due to some of the cultivars reducing stomatal conductance more than others.
Indices derived from thermal imaging of the leaves were found to be more stable than measurements using a porometer and showed more clear and consistent differences between cultivars.
Carbon isotope composition of leaves, fruit, and crowns showed an increase in photosynthetic water-use efficiency (WUE) in deficit-irrigated plants, with a significant difference between cultivars, indicating that there was variation within F. x ananassa. Consequently, carbon isotope composition and thermal imaging, which potentially relate to WUE, were found to be the most suitable screening tools for further investigations.
The traits that most accurately reflect differences in WUE will next be optimised for use in screening large numbers of genotypes.
We have crossed a drought tolerant accession of F chiloensis with F. x ananassa to produce a progeny segregating for WUE in order to map quantitative trait loci (QTL). Molecular markers that are closely linked to QTL on the genetic map will be identified so that they can be employed in the development of cultivars that are capable of performing well under conditions of drought stress.
Authors
A.W. Johnson, O.M. Grant, M.J. Davies, C.M. James, A.J. Passey, D.W. Simpson
Keywords
Fragaria x ananassa, water use efficiency, drought stress, leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, yield, carbon isotope composition
Online Articles (37)