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An Analysis of Conditions Determining Decline in Water Potential and Concurrent Proline Accumulation in Leaves of Four Cultivars of Vicia faba L.
Author(s) -
Venekamp J. H.,
Grashoff C.,
Koot J. T. M.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-037x.1987.tb00278.x
Subject(s) - proline , vicia faba , cultivar , elongation , biology , horticulture , randomized block design , agronomy , amino acid , botany , biochemistry , materials science , metallurgy , ultimate tensile strength
Field bean plants, Vicia faba L., in the field were used to study which conditions determine decline in leaf water potential (Ψ W ) and coinciding proline accumulation. Cultivars Minica and Optica , having a short period of elongation growth, were used and the cultivars Alfred and Kristall , with a long elongation growth period. The plants were exposed to a “dry” and a “moist” treatment in a randomized block design. Leaf Ψ W proline concentration and rate of elongation growth were measured weekly in June and July of both years. The measurements and samplings were conducted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 4‐hour intervals. Some leaf samples were selected for amino acid analysis. It was concluded that a drought‐induced proline accumulation only occurred when the plants were still in the phase of elongation growth. In this phase, a pre‐dawn leaf Ψ W lower than ‐2 bars, combined with high temperatures during the night, were the main determinants for this accumulation. Weather conditions in day time were less decisive for proline accumulation at a certain leaf Ψ W decline. The same applies to the diurnal rhythm in physiological patterns, the genetic properties of the plants, the rate of leaf Ψ W decline and the amino acid metabolism. Proline accumulation increased when two or more determinants acted together.