Differences in drought tolerance between cultivars of field bean and field pea. Morphological characteristics, germination and seedling growth

Different responses among legume species were observed, but the morphological and physiological differences that confer drought resistance or susceptibility are not well explained. The objective of this study was the determination of variation of morphological characteristics within 7 field bean and 4 field pea cultivars as related to drought tolerance. Also differences in the effect of drought on seed germination and seedling growth in 2 field bean and 2 field pea cultivars of different drought tolerances were investigated. The examined cultivars were characterized by variation of certain morphological characteristics regarded as xeromorphic features associated with the ability of plant to survive under drought. The drought resistant cultivars (field bean Gobo and field pea Solara) in comparison with the sensitive ones (field bean Victor and field pea Bareness) were characterized by more favourable relations between the size of the above—ground parts and the size of root, as well as the frequency and size of stomata. Moreover, in the resistant cultivars there was observed, a smaller influence of simulated drought (ψ=−0.6 MPa) on the increase of dry matter of the above-ground parts and of the roots. Also there was smaller influence on the height of seedlings and on the length of lateral roots. The correlation coefficients between the measured characteristics and the values of the drought susceptibility index (DSI) were in most cases statistically not significant, although, on the whole, they were very high. This may be an indication of a relatively high participation of the measured characteristics in the total variation of the drought tolerance in the cultivars. In cultivars regarded as belonging to the group of sensitive ones, a more disadvantageous effect of simulated drought (ψ=−0.6 MPa) on seed germination was observed, especially in the determination of the promptness index (PI).     

Influence of nutrient availability and tree wildling density on nutrient uptake by Oxalis acetosella and Acer saccharum

The different weight-number strategies of seed production displayed by individuals of a Mediterranean fire-prone plant species (Cistus ladanifer) were investigated in relation to seed germination responses to pre-germination heating. A control (no heating), a high temperature during a short exposure time (100 degrees C during 5 min) and a high temperature during a long exposure time (100 degrees C during 15 min) were applied to seeds from different individual plants with different mean seed weight. These pre-germination treatments resemble natural germination scenarios for the studied species, absence of fire, typical Mediterranean shrub fire, and severe fire with high fuel load. Seed germination was related to heat treatments and seed mass. Seed heating increased the proportion of seeds germinating compared with the control treatment. Mean seed weight was positively correlated to the proportion of germinated seeds but only within heat treatments. These results suggest that in periods without fire, the relative contributions to the population dynamics are equal for all seeds, regardless of their mass, whereas heavier seeds would be the main contribution after wildfire events. Since lighter seeds can be produced in higher quantities than heavier ones within a given fruit, the number of seedlings produced per fruit depended strongly on the germination conditions. In the absence of wildfire, fruits producing lighter seeds gave rise to more seedlings; nevertheless, they were numerically exceeded by those producing heavy seeds after a wildfire. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to their consequences on the population dynamics of this species, considering also additional information on stand flammability and changes in seed mass with plant age.     

Plant community changes induced by experimental climate change: Seedling and adult species composition

Experimental manipulation of climate provides a powerful tool for studying plant community dynamics with respect to current climate change. We experimentally investigated the vegetation dynamics of a Mediterranean shrubland under directional climate change by manipulating rain and temperature at stand level throughout 7 years. We focused on seedling establishment in relation to the between-year variability of drought conditions. We also compared seedling dynamics to changes in the established adult vegetation to assess the coupling between both dynamics. We used multivariate techniques (principal response curves (PRC) and redundancy analysis (RDA)) to explore changes in the whole community, and Generalized Linear Model (GLZM) to analyse the influence of drought on the abundance and survival of the most abundant species.Drought treatment induced significant changes in the species composition of the seedlings, via a differential decrease in the seedling density of most species. No species was particularly favoured in terms of seedling abundance under water-deficit conditions. Warming only explained a low percentage of the variability in seedling species composition. The emergence of seedlings in control plots – which may be considered an estimation of the between-year variability in the conditions for seedling establishment – was a better predictor of seedling emergence in experimental plots than climate manipulation treatments. The PRC analysis of the adults showed dynamics that were different from those recorded for seedlings, and it also showed that drought treatment significantly explained species composition. This result is reinforced by the change in the relative abundance of seedling and adults of the more common species in the drought and warming treatments, supporting the hypothesis that climatic directional change heightens discrepancies between recruitment and the adult performance. The RDA analysis applied to species composition at the end of the experiment failed, however, to attain any statistical significance. The warming treatment did not produce any significant shifts in adult vegetation.In conclusion, directional climate change – particularly drier conditions in Mediterranean shrublands – would result in a change in the recruitment of the plant community. This change in seedling recruitment tends to be different from the dynamics of adults, suggesting that potential adult mortality would not be compensated by actual seedling recruitment, thus enhancing shifts in community composition.     

Intra‐annual plasticity of growth mediates drought resilience over multiple years in tropical seedling communities

Precipitation patterns are changing across the globe causing more severe and frequent drought for many forest ecosystems. Although research has focused on the resistance of tree populations and communities to these novel precipitation regimes, resilience of forests is also contingent on recovery following drought, which remains poorly understood, especially in aseasonal tropical forests. We used rainfall exclusion shelters to manipulate the interannual frequency of drought for diverse seedling communities in a tropical forest and assessed resistance, recovery and resilience of seedling growth and mortality relative to everwet conditions. We found seedlings exposed to recurrent periods of drought altered their growth rates throughout the year relative to seedlings in everwet conditions. During drought periods, seedlings grew slower than seedlings in everwet conditions (i.e., resistance phase) while compensating with faster growth after drought (i.e., recovery phase). However, the response to frequent drought was species dependent as some species grew significantly slower with frequent drought relative to everwet conditions while others grew faster with frequent drought due to overcompensating growth during the recovery phase. In contrast, mortality was unrelated to rainfall conditions and instead correlated with differences in light. Intra‐annual plasticity of growth and increased annual growth of some species led to an overall maintenance of growth rates of tropical seedling communities in response to more frequent drought. These results suggest these communities can potentially adapt to predicted climate change scenarios and that plasticity in the growth of species, and not solely changes in mortality rates among species, may contribute to shifts in community composition under drought.     

Time of germination and establishment success after fire of three obligate seeders in a Mediterranean shrubland of central Spain

Aim Determining how differences in time of germination can affect plant establishment in plant communities that, after a disturbance, must reestablish from seeds under climatic conditions subject to extremes, such as the Mediterranean. Although early germination may be beneficial for survival in summer, when drought is severe, this may expose the seedlings to winter extremes, thus to higher mortality. Understanding how sensitive is the establishment of different species to temporal patterns of germination will help to understand the factors that control species distribution and community stability in disturbance‐prone environments, as well as its sensitivity to changes in weather patterns as climate changes. Methods An experimental fire was made in early fall in an old Cistus–Erica shrubland in Toledo (central Spain). After fire, germination, survival and growth of the three dominant seeder species (Cistus ladanifer, Erica umbellata and Rosmarinus officinalis) were monitored during the first 3 years after fire. Seedlings were tagged to identify their time of emergence, and divided into cohorts according to their month of germination. Differences in survival of the various cohorts were evaluated by means of a Wilcoxon (Gehan) statistic. Height of surviving, tagged plants was compared among cohorts by means of a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Results The year following fire was one of the driest on record, while the next one was one of the wettest. Germination was more abundant during the first than during the second year. Establishment was mainly from first‐year germination, as the majority of second‐year germinated seedlings died. Temporal patterns of germination within a year and between years varied between species. Seedling mortality was highest immediately following germination, not in summer. Mortality was related to time of germination: during a given period of time, the mortality of younger seedlings was higher than that of older ones. However, survival was not highest for the first cohorts. In general, the earlier the seedlings germinated the more vigourous they became, more clearly so for Cistus than for Rosmarinus, but differences tended to disappear with time. Overall, time of germination varied between species and affected differently seedling survival and vigour of the various species. Rosmarinus and Cistus had sufficient survivors to reestablish the initial population. Erica, despite abundant germination, suffered a strong population reduction. Main conclusions Mediterranean shrub species differ in their temporal patterns of germination and survival after fire. The effect of time of germination is complex: germinating early is advantageous since old seedlings fared better than younger ones when confronted with the same rigours. However, germinating early might expose the seedlings to greater hazards and the first cohort might not survive best. The temporal window for establishment is narrow and mainly restricted to the first year after fire. Second year seedlings, irrespective of most favourable conditions, survived very little. Missing the window of establishment might virtually lead to a population collapse, despite having very high germination, as found for Erica.     

亚热带中山常绿阔叶林木本植物幼苗数量动态及其与生境的相关性

以百山祖自然保护区5 hm2永久样地150个幼苗监测站木本植物幼苗为研究对象,2008—2011年定期调查样方中幼苗的种类、数量、萌发、死亡等,探究亚热带中山常绿阔叶林幼苗种类组成、数量动态及其与生境的相关性。结果表明:1)百山祖样地在2008年至2011年出现的幼苗属于26科,40属,共53个物种,不同物种萌发时段有异;2)2009年样地幼苗存活比率为7.7%,2010年为-20.8%,2011年则是-0.3%,幼苗存活比率不高,种类和数量呈减少趋势;3)存活幼苗中有明显的优势物种,分别为光亮山矾(Symplocos lucida)、尖连蕊茶(Camellia cuspidata)、浙闽新木姜子(Neolitsea aurata var.undulatula)、尖叶菝葜(Smilax arisanensis)和短尾柯(Lithocarpus brevicaudatus),5个物种之和占幼苗总数比例50%;4)种子的萌发与生境有极显著的相关性,且与生境因子中水分关联最大;5)存活幼苗数与样站坡位、水分、落叶层厚度呈现显著相关性,水和光照是影响幼苗存活的主要因素。     

Germination and establishment of Sahelian rangeland species

Summary In the context of a study on the dynamics of Sahelian rangelands, seed characteristics of about 30 species have been described, with particular attention to germination characteristics. Data on both form and weight of the seeds are presented. Germination was studied under controlled conditions in a climate room. Optimum conditions for germination were established, and the species were characterized by induction time, slope of germination vs. time curve and final germination percentage. The results obtained under climate room conditions appear to be correlated satisfactorily with the behaviour of the different species in the field.     

赤霉素、钙和甜菜碱对小桐子种子萌发及幼苗抗低温和干旱的影响

小桐子(Jatropha curcas L.)属大戟科( Euphorbiaceae)麻疯树属(Jatropha L.)的能源植物。分别以小桐子种子和幼苗为实验材料,研究了不同浓度的赤霉素和CaCl₂单独处理,以及不同浓度的赤霉素、CaCl₂和甜菜碱组合处理对小桐子种子萌发及幼苗抗低温和干旱的影响。结果表明:分别用10 mg/L赤霉素和10 mmol/L CaCl₂处理小桐子种子,不仅可以提高其在正常萌发条件(26℃)、低温(18℃)和干旱胁迫(5% PEG6000)下的发芽率,还可缓解小桐子幼苗在低温(2℃)或干旱胁迫(25% PEG6000)下电解质渗漏率的增加和丙二醛(MDA)的积累。用10 mg/L赤霉素、5 mmol/L CaCl₂和15 mmol/L甜菜碱组合处理小桐子种子,也可进一步增强其在正常萌发(26℃)、低温(18℃)和干旱胁迫(5% PEG6000)条件下种子的发芽率,以及缓解小桐子幼苗在低温(2℃)或干旱胁迫(25% PEG6000)下电解质渗漏率的增加和MDA的积累,表明10 mg/L赤霉素和10 mmol/L CaCl₂分别处理或10 mg/L赤霉素、5 mmol/L CaCl₂和10 mmol/L甜菜碱组合处理可提高小桐子种子在低温和干旱胁迫下的发芽率,以及提高小桐子幼苗对低温和干旱胁迫的抵抗能力。     

Drought resistance in rice seedlings conferred by seed priming

Seed priming is a method by which seeds are subjected to different stress conditions to impart stress adaptation in seedlings germinating and growing under stressful situations. Drought stress is a major reason behind failure of crops. We studied the effects of hydropriming, dehydration priming (induced by PEG), and osmopriming (induced by NaCl and KH₂PO₄) on subsequent germination, growth and anti-oxidant defense mechanisms of 2-week-old rice seedlings under continuing dehydration stress. Unprimed seeds grown in PEG showed significantly lower germination and growth along with significantly higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation levels. Among the priming methods, 5 % PEG priming was found to be the best in terms of germination and growth rate along with the lowest amount of ROS and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA]) values. MDA levels were reduced significantly by all of the priming methods. Hence, reduction of lipid peroxidation may be a key factor underlying the drought tolerance produced by the priming treatments. Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity seemed to bear an excellent correlation with oxidative stress resistance through seed priming. The PEG priming produced minimum peroxidative damage and superior germination and growth rate along with efficient GPX activity, overexpressed MnSOD and maintenance of HSP70 expression in normal as well as in drought condition. Therefore, in PEG-primed seeds the existence of robust protective mechanisms is definitely indicated.     

Drought tolerance of germinating seeds and young seedlings of Anastatica hierochuntica L.

Summary Drought tolerance of germinating seeds and young seedlings of Anastatica hierochuntica L. was studied under controlled conditions. When seeds at various stages of germination were air-dried, or alternatively were desiccated over CaCl₂ to the same or a lower water level than in the air-dried seeds, and after various periods of storage were rewetted, they readily continued germination or growth. Similarly, 60% of dried young seedlings with rootlets 4–6 mm long that had been dehydrated for one week, renewed their growth 8 h after wetting, their shrivelled, dried rootlets imbibing water. Recovery was adversely affected by both longer periods of germination prior to the dehydration, or by the longer duration of storage of the redried seeds/seedlings. The higher rate of dehydration also reduced recovery. It is argued that despite this tolerance of seedlings to drought, the Rose of Jericho cannot be considered a resurrection plant. Compared with other desert annuals, this behavior is specific for Anastatica. However, it may occur also in other annual species of populations sequestered within the driest of desert habitats.     

Persistence of seed banks in Australian temporary wetlands

1. The ability of seeds to survive periods of drying and wetting that do not lead to seed production will determine the potential species pool for future plant communities of temporary wetlands. I investigated characteristics of the seed banks in sediment from Australian temporary wetlands that might contribute to the ability of aquatic plants to re‐establish after extended drought. 2. Experimental investigation into germination from sediment from six sites in five Australian temporary wetlands, with various water regimes, examined two sources of seed bank depletion: (i) length of time dry (longevity up to 12 years) and (ii) successive annual wetting and germination events (up to seven) with intervening periods dry (leaving a residual seed bank), both without any opportunity for replenishment of the seed bank. 3. These wetlands had species‐rich, long‐lived seed banks that were not exhausted by successive germination events. After three years of dry storage, 90% of the original seed bank species germinated, after six years 75% and after 12 years 20%. After seven successive wetting and drying events without seed bank replenishment, 48% of the original species still germinated. The mean survival time dry for seed bank species, 7.4 years, was longer than the duration of recent droughts. 4. Seed bank composition varied among wetlands and over time; most species did not occur in all wetlands and many occurred in one wetland only. The germination patterns of different species, although differing in detail, tended to be consistent in that all species could survive long dry periods and several wetting and drying events. However, experimental drought significantly diminished species richness and abundance, indicating limits to seed bank persistence. 5. Data from such long‐term studies of seed bank persistence should allow prediction of the species richness and composition of the germinating communities in a wetland whose water regime is intentionally or unintentionally altered. This ability to forecast may become particularly important under climate change and the need to predict future wetland conditions.     

Reproductive output in Mediterranean shrubs under climate change experimentally induced by drought and warming

The effects of climate change on plant reproductive performance affects the sequence of different plant reproductive stages from flowering to seed production and viability, as well as the network of relationships between them. These effects are expected to respond to different components of climate change, such as temperature and water availability, and may be sensitive to differences in species phenology.We used long-term experimental drought and warming treatments to study the effect of climate change on flower production, fruit and seed-set, seed size and seed germination rate (proportion of germinating seeds) in three Mediterranean shrubs coexisting in a coastal shrubland.Larger plants produced significantly more flowers in all three species, and higher fruit-set in Dorycnium pentaphyllum. Flower production was reduced in drought and warming treatments in the spring-flowering species D. pentaphyllum and Helianthemum syriacum, but not in the autumn–winter species Erica multiflora, which increased flowering in the warming treatment. However, the drought treatment eventually resulted in a decreased seed-set in E. multiflora. Structural equation modelling revealed strong correlations between the sequential reproductive stages. Specifically, flower density in inflorescences determined seed-set in H. syriacum, and seed size and germination rate in E. multiflora. Nevertheless, the relevance of relationships between reproductive traits changed between climatic treatments: in D. pentaphyllum a direct relationship between plant size and seed size only arised in the drought treatment, while in H. syriacum climate treatments resulted in a stronger relationship between the number of flowers and seed-set.This experimental study shows the ability of changing climatic variables to determine the reproductive sequential process of woody species. We show that several parameters of the reproductive performance of some Mediterranean species are affected by drought and warming treatments simulating climate change, highlighting the importance of changes in both water availability and temperature, and the sequential relationship between reproductive stages. Phenological patterns also contribute to species’ differential responses to climatic change, due to the relationship of these patterns with resource availability, environmental conditions and plant–pollinator interactions.     

四种植物种子萌发及苗期抗旱性差异的研究

对四种豆科植物种子萌发及苗期抗旱性作了比较研究,结果表示：种子萌发期抗旱笥强的植物其苗期抗旱性亦强。干旱引起组织脱水,植株生长受到抑制,幼苗出现衩始萎蔫时间与细胞膜受害时间一致。四种植物显示萎蔫时土壤含水量明显不同,红豆草为４．８０％、羊柴２．２％、花棒１．７４％、柠条１．５１％．据种子相对发芽率、膜透性变化等生理指标综合评定四种植物种子萌发及苗期抗旱能力次序为：柠条＞花棒＞羊柴＞红豆草。     

Critical periods for impact of climate warming on early seedling establishment in subarctic tundra

Climate warming is expected to shift bioclimatic zones and plant species distribution. Yet, few studies have explored whether seedling establishment is a possible bottleneck for future migration and population resilience. We test how warming affects the early stages of seedling establishment in 10 plant species in subarctic tundra. To zoom into the life phases where the effects of warming actually take place, we used a novel approach of breaking down the whole‐season warming effect into full factorial combination of early‐, mid‐, and late‐season warming periods. Seeds were sown in containers placed under field conditions in subarctic heath and were exposed to 3 °C elevation of surface temperature and 30% addition of summer precipitation relative to ambient. Heating was achieved with Free Air Temperature Increase systems. Whole‐season heating reduced germination and establishment, significantly in four out of 10 species. The whole‐season warming effect originated from additive effects of individual periods, although some of the periods had disproportionally stronger influence. Early‐germinating species were susceptible to warming; the critical phases were early summer for germination and mid summer for seedling survival. Graminoids, which emerged later, were less susceptible although some negative effects during late summer were observed. Some species with intermediate germination time were affected by all periods of warming. Addition of water generally could not mitigate the negative effects of whole‐season heating, but at individual species level both strengthening and amelioration of these negative effects were observed. We conclude that summer warming is likely to constrain seedling recruitment in open micro sites, which is a common seed regeneration niche in tundra ecosystem. Importantly, we described both significant temporal and species‐specific variation in the sensitivity of seedling establishment to warming which needs to be taken into consideration when modelling population dynamics and vegetation transitions in a warmer climate.     

Soil water availability effects on seed germination account for species segregation in semiarid roadslopes

Previous studies report that the low colonisation success on eroded roadslopes of semiarid environments is controlled by microsite limitations. We predicted that soil water availability, through its effect on seed germination, is a determinant factor in the colonisation process of roadslopes in semiarid environments. Moreover, we predicted that the success of species establishment on the harshest roadslope conditions (i.e., south-facing roadcuts) is either due to the ability of seeds to germinate fast at low water potentials (colonising species) or to the ability of plants to sprout (resistant species). Specifically we present evidence for: (1) soil drying occurs faster on roadcuts than on roadfills after a rainfall event; (2) germination is a filtering process that influences the success of species establishment on roadslopes; (3) species able to colonise successfully south-facing roadcuts have higher germination rates and a shorter time to germination under water-stress conditions than species able to colonise successfully but exclusively the most favourable roadslopes (i.e., roadfills); (4) species that live on south-facing roadcuts and have the ability to sprout do not necessarily germinate with germinating rates and speeds as high as species that colonise successfully these slopes but are unable to sprout. To test these hypotheses we compared water dynamics in the soil among roadslope types and aspects as well as the seed ability to germinate at low water potentials among species showing different regeneration strategies and establishment success on roadslopes. Soil water availability after rainfalls occurring during the germination period played a major role in the germination of seeds. The patterns of seed germination under water-stress conditions were consistent with the success of colonising species on roadslopes and with the distribution of adult plants in the roadslopes 8 years after these latter were built. We discuss the usefulness of these results for the improvement of revegetation projects in semiarid areas by means of an appropriate selection of species adapted to the local environmental conditions. We suggest that the ability of species to germinate under water stress could be an indication of a species’ potential for success under semiarid conditions. Responsible Editor: John McPherson Cheeseman.     

Regeneration potential of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxodium distichum</Emphasis> swamps and climate change

Seed bank densities respond to factors across local to landscape scales, and therefore, knowledge of these responses may be necessary in forecasting the effects of climate change on the regeneration of species. This study relates the seed bank densities of species of Taxodium distichum swamps to local water regime and regional climate factors at five latitudes across the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley from southern Illinois to Louisiana. In an outdoor nursery setting, the seed banks of twenty-five swamps were exposed to non-flooded (freely drained) or flooded treatments, and the number and species of seeds germinating were recorded from each swamp during one growing season. Based on ANOVA analysis, the majority of dominant species had a higher rate of germination in non-flooded versus flooded treatments. Similarly, an NMS comparison, which considered the local water regime and regional climate of the swamps, found that the species of seeds germinating, almost completely shifted under non-flooded versus flooded treatments. For example, in wetter northern swamps, seeds of Taxodium distichum germinated in non-flooded conditions, but did not germinate from the same seed banks in flooded conditions. In wetter southern swamps, seeds of Eleocharis cellulosa germinated in flooded conditions, but did not germinate in non-flooded conditions. The strong relationship of seed germination and density relationships with local water regime and regional climate variables suggests that the forecasting of climate change effects on swamps and other wetlands needs to consider a variety of interrelated variables to make adequate projections of the regeneration responses of species to climate change. Because regeneration is an important aspect of species maintenance and restoration, climate drying could influence the species distribution of these swamps in the future.      

干旱胁迫下AMF对云南蓝果树幼苗生长和光合特征的影响

采用盆栽试验与称重控水法,将土壤相对含水量分别控制在田间最大持水量的100%、91.68%、82.85%、60.00%、41.86%和21.28%,并在这6个不同的土壤相对含水量条件下,分别设添加苯菌灵(杀真菌剂)(低AMF)和不添加苯菌灵(高AMF)处理,研究干旱胁迫下AMF对极小种群野生植物云南蓝果树幼苗生长和光合特征的影响,揭示云南蓝果树濒危的微生物学机制,为云南蓝果树保护措施的制定与实施奠定基础。结果表明,添加苯菌灵处理显著降低了不同水分条件下的AMF侵染率,说明试验中AMF处理的实生苗在生长和光合特征上的差异是苯菌灵处理下侵染率下降导致的;随着干旱胁迫的加剧,云南蓝果树幼苗的根部AMF侵染率显著降低、叶面积等生长指标和净光合速率(Pn)等光合参数都发生显著变化;高AMF处理可以显著增加水分充足和轻度干旱胁迫条件下云南蓝果树幼苗的大部分生长指标和光合参数,而对重度胁迫下的云南蓝果树幼苗没有显著影响,说明重度干旱胁迫对其影响大于AMF的影响;另外,整合了可塑性指数分析和隶属函数分析两种方法对其抗旱性进行评价,云南蓝果树幼苗基本上无法通过调节形态和光合能力来适应水分环境的变化,但是高AMF处理可使云南蓝果树幼苗具有较强的可塑性和更强的抗旱性。实验结果为云南蓝果树的科学保育及种苗繁育提供了理论依据。     

外源5-氨基乙酰丙酸对干旱胁迫下甘草种子萌发及幼苗生理特性的影响

以药用植物甘草种子和幼苗为材料,在20%PEG-6000模拟干旱胁迫条件下,测定了不同浓度外源5-氨基乙酰丙酸(ALA)处理甘草种子的发芽势(Gv)、发芽率(Gr)、发芽指数(Gi)和活力指数(Vi)的变化,以及ALA处理幼苗叶片的质膜透性、丙二醛(MDA)含量、可溶性糖含量、游离脯氨酸含量和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性。结果显示:(1)在20%PEG-6000胁迫下,甘草种子萌发受到显著抑制,而各项萌发指标经过不同浓度的ALA进行恢复处理后均有明显提高,且均以10 mg.L-1ALA处理的各项指标值最大,其种子发芽势(75%)、发芽率(91%)比干旱胁迫对照显著提高了35%和30%,发芽指数(36.2)和活力指数(709.7)分别提高至干旱胁迫的2.6和3.5倍。(2)各ALA处理较对照均显著提高了干旱胁迫下甘草幼苗总生物量、可溶性糖的含量及脯氨酸含量,却显著降低了甘草叶片的MDA含量和质膜透性,同时显著提高了干旱胁迫下甘草叶片中的SOD、POD和CAT的活性,且以10 mg.L-1ALA处理后的酶活性最强。研究表明,适宜浓度(10 mg.L-1)的ALA能显著提高干旱胁迫下甘草种子的萌发能力,通过调节渗透调节物质含量和保护酶活性来有效减缓干旱胁迫对甘草幼苗的伤害,提高甘草种子及幼苗的抗旱能力。     

电场处理油葵种子后对其萌发期抗旱性的影响

用不同电场条件处理油葵种子,以PEG(聚乙二醇)模拟水分胁迫,通过高渗溶液萌发法、种子吸水率和膜脂过氧化检测法测定电场处理对油葵种子萌发期抗旱性的影响。结果表明,不同处理条件对油葵种子在萌发期对水分胁迫的适应性影响不同。通过电场处理能够提高油葵种子吸水速率及在水分胁迫条件下的发芽势、发芽率;降低水分胁迫对种子细胞膜的伤害,提高种子萌发期体内超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化物醇的活性,减少了膜脂过氧化产物丙二醛的积累。所有这些变化都有利于缓解水分胁迫对油葵种子的伤害,提高其对水分胁迫的适应性。