Nitrate reductase,nitrite reductase activities and leaf diffusive resistance in wheat under water deficit

The flag and second leaves of wheat showed physiological and biochemical differences in the normal and water stressed plants. Although the flag leaf had lower enzyme activities in the control plants, in stressed plants it could continue nitrate assimilation better than the second and other leaves. The flag leaf also exhibited a higher tendency to resume normal metabolic activity after the release of stress as is indicated by higher NRA, NiRa, lower r_ad and r_ab.