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Improving water use efficiency by changing hydraulic and stomatal characteristics in soybean exposed to drought: the involvement of nitric oxide
Author(s) -
Sousa Letícia F.,
MenezesSilva Paulo E.,
Lourenço Lucas L.,
Galmés Jeroni,
Guimarães Aline C.,
Silva Aline F.,
Reis Lima Ana P.,
Henning Liliane M. M.,
Costa Alan C.,
Silva Fabiano G.,
Farnese Fernanda dos Santos
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/ppl.12983
Subject(s) - nitric oxide , environmental science , chemistry , agronomy , horticulture , biology , organic chemistry
A variety of cellular responses is needed to ensure the plants survival during drought, but little is known about the signaling mechanisms involved in this process. Soybean cultivars (EMBRAPA 48 and BR 16, tolerant and sensitive to drought, respectively) were exposed to the following treatments: control conditions (plants in field capacity), drought (20% of available water in the soil), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) treatment (plants irrigated and treated with 100‐µM SNP [SNP–nitric oxide (NO) donor molecule], and Drought + SNP (plants subjected to drought and SNP treatment). Plants remained in these conditions until the reproductive stage and were evaluated for physiological (photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll a fluorescence and gas exchange rates), hydraulic (water potential, osmotic potential and leaf hydraulic conductivity) and morpho‐anatomical traits (biomass, venation density and stomatal characterization). Exposure to water deficit considerably reduced water potential in both cultivars and resulted in decrease in photosynthesis and biomass accumulation. The addition of the NO donor attenuated these damaging effects of water deficit and increased the tolerance index of both cultivars. The results showed that NO was able to reduce plant's water loss, while maintaining their biomass production through alteration in stomatal characteristics, hydraulic conductivity and the biomass distribution pattern. These hydraulic and morpho‐anatomical alterations allowed the plants to obtain, transport and lose less water to the atmosphere, even in water deficit conditions.