RUSSIA

 

INFLUENCE OF INTRAVARIETAL SELECTION ON DROUGHT RESISTANCE ON PHOTOSYNTHETIC ACTIVITY OF BARLEY

 

Tiunova Ljudmila, Lisitsyn Eugene, Lisitsyna Irina

 

North-East Agricultural Research Institute, 166-a Lenin Street, Kirov, Russia, 610007

 

The accent in breeding work now is made on adaptive system. It means creation of varieties combining high potential productivity and quality of crop with resistance against abiotic and biotic stressors (Zhuchenko, 2000). On the data of world climatologists probability of such adverse phenomenon as the drought at the nearest decades will accrue. Therefore breeding of drought-resistant varieties is an actual problem of agriculture. It is known, that selection in a line of consecutive generations on a background of constant influence of any stressful factor may increase a level of variety resistance against this factor considerably (Udovenko, 1995).

Breeding process on creation of varieties with high adaptation potential includes the analysis of interaction of varying environment conditions and laws of formation of elements of plants productivity as basic mechanism of their adaptation to soil - climatic conditions of a zone of cultivation.

Chlorophylls and carotenes are the major components of the photosynthetic apparatus of leaves. Their quantitative content in leaves depends on growth conditions of organism, and its genetic nature. Therefore it can be used as the physiological parameter describing features of plants. The amount of pigments reflects reaction of a plant organism to growth conditions also.

Studying the dynamics of contents of chlorophylls and carotenes in leaves of grain crops enables to estimate their adaptibility against action of the stressful factor. There are indications on correlation between value of specific leaf area and productivity of fodder grasses, productivity of leguminous cultures (Zelenskij M.I., 1995).

 

Materials and Methods. Two barley varieties (Novichok and Ecolog) breed in North-East Agricultural Research Institute (Kirov, Russia) were studied in our research. We studied change of parameters of photosynthetic activity on phases of plants development. Intravarietal groups of plants were formed of the four-day seedlings divided under stress conditions (solution of saccharose with osmotic pressure of 3 atmospheres) on groups by length of the greatest root. For field experiment plants from groups with the least and greatest root lengths were used. Each variant of experiment planted on plots 1.2х1.0 m, 160 plants per plot. Sampling for estimation of pigments content was carried out at stages of tillering, form leaf-tube and earing. Samples were selected from 10 plants on a diagonal of plot with leaves of top circle. Analyses were carried out in 3 replications. Estimation of pigments content was made in acetone extract.

 

Results and Discussion. The designed parameters of contents of chlorophylls a and b, carotene in dry matter, the ratio of contents of chlorophylls a and b and specific leaf area (SLA) are submitted in the table.

From the data of the table it is visible, that statistically significant differences between groups of plants within a variety on stages of development for both barley varieties were observed only at a tillering stage. At later stages of development there were not significant differences.

 

 

Table. Influence of intravarietal selection on photosynthetic parameters of barley

Variety

Growth stage*

Group of plants

 

Chlorophyll content,

mg/g of dry matter

Carotene content,

mg/g of dry matter

Specific leaf area, mg/sm2

а

в

а+в

а/в

Novichok

1

Short-root

5,39а

2,85с

8,25а

1,88a

2,45d

5,05a

2

4,60а

1,63а

6,24а

2,82bc

1,51a

7,14b

3

5,53а

1,83а,в

7,36а

3,03cd

2,07cd

7,206b

1

Long-root

4,48а

2,27b

6,75а

1,96a

1,74ab

5,81ab

2

4,61а

1,63a

6,25а

2,83c

1,62ab

7,20b

3

6,29а

1,97ab

8,25а

3,19d

2,31cd

7,20b

Ecolog

1

Short-root

4,72a

1,98c

6,70a

1,81b

2,41a

5,87b

2

4,11a

1,38a

5,49a

1,33a

2,97bcd

9,10d

3

6,63cd

2,15c

8,77cd

2,20cd

3,08cd

6,57b

1

Long-root

6,44cd

2,42c

8,86d

2,27d

2,67ab

4,36a

2

4,13a

1,58ab

5,88a

1,44a

2,72ab

8,21cd

3

6,67d

2,15c

8,82cd

2,33d

3,11d

6,12b

* -1, 2, 3 – stages of tillering, form leaf-tube, and earing, accordingly.  Within a column, any two means having a letter in common are not significantly different at the 5% level by Duncan Multiple Range Test

 

Differences were indicated between groups of short- and long-root plants at the first stage for variety Ecolog on parameters of content of chlorophyll a, the total content of chlorophylls a and b, carotene and SLA. On first three parameters the long-root group of plants exceeded opposite group, and SLA was higher at short-root group. For variety Novichok significant differences were observed only at the first growth stage on the contents of chlorophyll b and carotene.

Reliability of differences on development stages between plant groups is visible on a parameter of ratio of contents of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b in long-root group of plants of variety Novichok. Significant differences on phases of development were marked on a parameter of content of carotene in short-root group and on SLA in long-root group for variety Ecolog.

Conclusion. Based on the received data, it is possible to conclude, that division within variety on groups of plants by a level of drought resistance is reflected in value of investigated parameters of plants of these groups. At different development stages of plants values of parameters of photosynthetic activity of barley also differ. It specifies an opportunity of selection of populations, more resistant against stressful factor, than initial varieties, by selection already at early stages of development. 

 

 

REFERENCES

 

Zhuchenko A.A. Ecological-genetic basis of adaptive system of selection of plants // Agricultural. Biology, - 2000.- №3 [in Russian]

Zelensky M.I. Photosynthetic characteristics of the major agricultural crops and prospects of their selection use. // Physiological bases of selection of plants / V.A. Dragavtsev, G.V. Udovenko, N.F. Batygin, etc.: Saint Petersburg: VIR, 1995. (Theoretical bases of selection. V.II, part 2.) [in Russian]

Klimashevsky E.L. Physiological features of a root feeding of different varieties of corn in the Nonchernozem strip (sketches of physiology of a variety). - Moscow, 1966 [in Russian]

Udovenko G.V. Resistance of plants against abiotic stresses // Physiological bases of selection of plants / V.A. Dragavtsev, G.V. Udovenko, N.F. Batygin, etc.: Saint Petersburg: VIR, 1995. (Theoretical bases of selection. V.II, part 2.) [in Russian]