Physiological, anatomical and yield responses of winter crops waterlogged at earlyand late-stages

COLMER TD; PLOSCHUK RA; PLOSCHUK EL; MIRALLES DJ; STRIKER GG

Taipei

Conferencia; 13th International Society for Plant Anaerobiosis Conference; 2019

ISPA

Waterlogging is a major stress that affects crop production worldwide, and its occurrence is expected to increase as a result of global climate change. To evaluate the tolerance of different winter crop species to waterlogging, plants of wheat, barley, rapeseed and field pea were exposed to 14-day- waterlogging periods during early- or late-stages. Anatomical, physiological and dry masses responses were assessed through plant-cycle, plus seed production and yield-numerical components. Wheat was the most tolerant, generating 22% of root aerenchyma when waterlogged, maintaining photosynthesis, and producing 86% and 71% of seed mass of controls in early-and late-waterlogging due mainly to a lower seed number per spike. In barley and rapeseed, plants were less affected by early- than by  latewaterlogging. Waterlogged-barley plants had 19% of root aerenchyma and showed reduced photosynthesis in both waterlogging-treatments; with early-waterlogged plants  being able to recover later. Seed mass was 85% and 32% of controls in early- and late-waterlogging, respectively, caused by a decreased seed weight, plus a reduced number of spikes when late-waterlogged. Rapeseed did not produce root aerenchyma and showed limited photosynthesis during early- and late-waterlogging, with restrained root and shoot dry masses; nevertheless, early-waterlogged plants could recover afterward. Plants produced a seed mass of 79% and 26% of controls with early- and late-waterlogging, respectively, as a consequence of reductions in the number of seeds per silique in both treatments, plus a reduced seed weight in late-waterlogged plants. Field pea was the less tolerant species, showing no ability to develop aerenchyma in roots and without capacity to recover of early- or late-waterlogging. Photosynthesis was affected shortly after each waterlogging, and seed production was reduced to only 6% of controls on average due to a lower number of pods per plant and seeds per pod in both waterlogging treatments, plus reductions in seed weight with late-waterlogging.