scholarly journals Improvement of drought tolerance in white clover (Trifolium repens) by transgenic expression of a transcription factor gene WXP1

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingzhen Jiang ◽  
Ji-Yi Zhang ◽  
Xiulin Guo ◽  
Mohamed Bedair ◽  
Lloyd Sumner ◽  
...  

White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is an important pasture legume in many regions of the world. A commercial cultivar of white clover (cv. Patriot) was transformed with a Medicago truncatula L. transcription factor gene, WXP1, and a reporter gene, β-glucuronidase (GUS). The WXP1 gene and the GUS gene were placed under control of the Arabidopsis CER6 promoter. GUS staining and cross-section analysis revealed the CER6 promoter directed constitutive expression in leaves and epidermis preferential expression in petioles of white clover. Independent transgenic WXP1 lines, empty vector and wild-type controls were subjected to drought stress treatment. The plants were characterised by measuring several physiological parameters including gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, relative water content and leaf water potential. The WXP1 transgenic lines had higher net photosynthetic rates, higher efficiency of PSII, higher relative water content and leaf water potential under drought-stressed conditions. Consistent with the results from physiological analyses, the transgenic white clover plants carrying WXP1 showed improved tolerance to drought stress.

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Barbanti ◽  
Ahmad Sher ◽  
Giuseppe Di Girolamo ◽  
Elio Cirillo ◽  
Muhammad Ansar

A better understanding of plant mechanisms in response to drought is a strong premise to achieving high yields while saving unnecessary water. This is especially true in the case of biomass crops for non-food uses (energy, fibre and forage), grown with limited water supply. In this frame, we investigated growth and physiological response of two genotypes of biomass sorghum (<em>Sorghum bicolor</em> (L.) Moench) to contrasting levels of soil moisture in a pot experiment carried out in a greenhouse. Two water regimes (high and low water, corresponding to 70% and 30% field capacity) were applied to JS-2002 and Trudan-8 sorghum genotypes, respectively bred for dry sub-tropical and mild temperate conditions. Two harvests were carried out at 73 and 105 days after seeding. Physiological traits (transpiration, photosynthesis and stomatal conductance) were assessed in four dates during growth. Leaf water potential, its components and relative water content were determined at the two harvests. Low watering curbed plant height and aboveground biomass to a similar extent (ca. 􀀀70%) in both genotypes. JS-2002 exhibited a higher proportion of belowground to aboveground biomass, <em>i.e</em>., a morphology better suited to withstand drought. Despite this, JS-2002 was more affected by low water in terms of physiology: during the growing season, the average ratio in transpiration, photosynthesis and stomatal conductance between droughty and well watered plants was, respectively, 0.82, 0.80 and 0.79 in JS-2002; 1.05, 1.08 and 1.03 in Trudan-8. Hence Trudan-8 evidenced a ca. 20% advantage in the three traits. In addition, Trudan-8 could better exploit abundant moisture (70% field capacity), increasing aboveground biomass and water use efficiency. In both genotypes, drought led to very low levels of leaf water potential and relative water content, still supporting photosynthesis. Hence, both morphological and physiological characteristics of sorghum were involved in plant adaptation to drought, in accordance with previous results. Conversely, the common assumption that genotypes best performing under wet conditions are less suited to face drought was contradicted by the results of the two genotypes in our experiment. This discloses a potential to be further exploited in programmes of biomass utilization for various end uses, although further evidence at greenhouse and field level is needed to corroborate this finding.


Genetika ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Golparvar

Mode of gene action, heritability and determination of the effective breeding strategy for improvement of physiological and traits specifically in drought stress conditions is very important. Therefore, this study was conducted by using two drought susceptible and tolerant wheat cultivars. Cultivars Sakha8 (tolerant) and Pishtaz (susceptible) as parents along with F1, F2, BC1 and BC2 generations were sown in a randomized complete block design with three replications in drought stress conditions. Results of analysis of variance indicated significant difference between generations as well as degree of dominance revealed over-dominance for the both traits. Fitting simple additive-dominance model designated that this model was not able to account for changes of traits relative water content and mean of grain filling rate. It was revealed that m-d-h-i-j model for relative water content and m-d-h-i model for mean of grain filling rate are the best models. Estimation of heritability and mode of gene action indicated that selection for improvement of traits studied in stress condition and specifically in early generations have medium genetic gain. In conclusion, grain filling rate is better than relative water content as indirect selection criteria to improve plant grain yield in drought stress condition.


1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Diaz-Pérez ◽  
K.A. Shackel ◽  
E.G. Sutter

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Akte ◽  
S Yasmin ◽  
MJH Bhuiyan ◽  
F Khatun ◽  
J Roy ◽  
...  

Five rice varieties viz. Binadhan-4, Binadhan-5, Binadhan-6, Binadhan-10 and Iratom-24 were evaluated in vitro under different water stress conditions. Several parameters such as germination percentage, shoot length, root length, shoot-root ratio, fresh weight, dry weight, turgid weight, relative water content and proline accumulation were studied. Drought condition was created by MS medium supplemented with five treatments of PEG, with a control such as 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% of PEG. The highest germination (100%) was found in the variety Binadhan-10 under low water stress conditions induced by 1% PEG. Similarly, the highest percentage of germination was found in all varieties under control condition (0% PEG). The lowest percentage of germination was obtained in the variety Iratom-24. But under severe stress (4% PEG), the highest percentage of germination was found only in the variety Binadhan-10. Moreover, the variety Binadhan-10 was found to be the best at 4% PEG for shoot length, root length, shoot-root ratio, relative water content and also the best at 1% PEG for fresh weight, dry weight, turgid weight. Water stress decreased relative water content and increased proline accumulation in rice. The highest relative water content was recorded in the variety Binadhan-10 and the lowest value recorded in the variety Binadhan-5. The highest proline content was obtained from the binadhan-6 at the highest treatment (4% PEG). Binadhan-10 showed the best performance almost in all the parameters under drought stress because of its own nature of tolerancy.Progressive Agriculture 27 (2): 128-135, 2016


1979 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 285 ◽  
Author(s):  
JR Withers

Casuarina littoralis seedlings are inherently more drought-resistant than Eucalyptus ovata seedlings over a wide range of environmental conditions. Moderate shade pre-treatment (30% of full daylight) decreased the drought resistance of seedlings of E. ovata, Acacia pycnantha and C. stricta but not that of C. littoralis seedlings. Deep shade pre-treatment (8 % of full daylight) decreased the drought resistance of all species and was associated with decreased rootlshoot ratios. Both shaded and non-shaded C. littoralis seedlings closed stomata at higher relative water contents (about 80% and 88 % respectively) than did E. ovata seedlings (about 36 % and 63 % respectively). Shading decreased the relative water content at which E. ovata closed stomata and reduced the relative decrease in water potential which occurred with unit decreases in relative water content. When E. ovata and C. littoralis seedlings were grown in competition, the larger E. ovata dominated the drought response of plants under both high and low light conditions. E. ovata rapidly depleted moisture supplies thereby subjecting C. littoralis to greater stress and earlier death than it experienced in monoculture. C. littoralis seedlings grown and droughted in competition with E. ovata exhibited smaIIer decreases in water potential per unit decrease in relative water content than seedlings grown in monoculture. The height growth of E. ovata grown in monoculture and in competition with C. littoralis was reduced for at least 10-15 weeks after the wilting treatment, but height growth of C. littoralis was not affected. Eucalypts wilted at higher water potentials (-4.3 MPa) than did C. littoralis seedlings (- 6.3 MPa). It is suggested that the replacement of E. ovata by C. littoralis at Ocean Grove, Vic. may be partly due to the differential effects of shading on the drought resistance of seedlings which become established in the grass sward of canopy gaps.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 2713-2722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haicui Xie ◽  
Jianqin Shi ◽  
Fengyu Shi ◽  
Haiyun Xu ◽  
Kanglai He ◽  
...  

Abstract Plants are routinely subjected simultaneously to different abiotic and biotic stresses, such as heat, drought, and insect infestation. Plant–insect interactions in such complex stress situations are poorly understood. We evaluated the performance of the grain aphid (Sitobion avenae) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) exposed to a combination of heat and drought stresses. We also performed assays of the relative water content, nutritional quality, and responses of phytohormone signaling pathways. Lower relative water content and accumulation of soluble sugars and amino acids were observed in plants exposed to combined heat and drought stress. These conditions increased abscisic acid levels in the absence of aphids, as well as leading to higher levels of jasmonate-dependent transcripts. The grain aphid infestation further increased abscisic acid levels and the abundance of jasmonic acid- and salicylic acid-dependent defenses under the combined stress conditions. Aphids reared on plants grown under drought stress alone showed lower net reproductive rates, intrinsic rates of increase, and finite rates of increase compared with aphids reared on plants in the absence of stress. The heat-treated plants also showed a decreased aphid net reproductive rate. These findings demonstrate that exposure to a combination of stresses enhances plant defense responses against aphids as well as altering nutritional quality.


Author(s):  
K.D. Nkoana ◽  
Abe Shegro Gerrano ◽  
E.T. Gwata

The genetic potential for drought tolerance in cowpea within the small holder sector has not been fully exploited in South Africa. Thus, a drought evaluation experiment was conducted at the ARC-VOP to evaluate 28 cowpea germplasm accessions including two controls viz. IT96D-602 (drought tolerant) and TVU7778 (susceptible to drought) in the drought screening house using plastic box evaluation method in January, 2017. Genotypes raised for three weeks were subjected to 5 weeks of water stress treatment to determine their physiological response through leaf wilting index, relative water content and proline content followed by re-watering to determine genotype (s) with ability to recover from drought stress. Analyses of variance showed highly significant differences in response to moisture stress among the cowpea accessions for the selected physiological traits except for leaf wilting index at week two of drought stress. Stem greenness and recovery appeared to be a reliable indicator of drought tolerant genotypes which was readily observed in Acc1257, Acc1168, Acc2355, IT96D-602 and Acc5352 which also correlated significantly and positively with relative water content and proline content. The genotypes responded differently to drought stress indicating that there is sufficient genetic variability that can be utilized further in breeding for drought stress within the cowpea species.


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