Resilience of willows (Salix spp.) differs between families during and after flooding according to floodwater depth

DOFFO, GUILLERMO; RODRÍGUEZ MARÍA EMILIA; OLGUÍN FLAVIA; CERRILLO TERESA; LUQUEZ VIRGINIA M.C.

TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2018 vol. 32 p. 1779 - 1788

0931-1890

Although the morphological and physiological responsesof willows to flooding have already been characterized, less is known about theirresponses during the post- flooding period. After the end of the stressepisode, plants may modify some leaf and plant traits to compensate for biomassloss. The aim of this work was to analyze the post-flooding responses of differentwillow genotypes under two different depths of floodwater. The hypothesis wasthat the growth recovery in the post-flooding period would be differentaccording to the genotype and the floodwater depth. We analyzed three genotypesof five willow families (4 interspecific hybrids and one open-pollinated family).The treatments were: 1) Control: plants watered to field capacity; 2) T10:water covering 10 cm above soil level; 3) T65: water covering 65 cm above soillevel. Both flooding treatments were followed by a period of recovery (withoutflooding). Growth was reduced by flooding in T65 but not in T10, whileroot-to-shoot ratio was reduced in both flooding treatments. The relativegrowth rate in height, leaf nitrogen concentration, stomatal conductance andelectron transport rate changed in a different manner during the post-floodingperiod, depending on the treatment and genetic background. These resultsemphasize the need for evaluating a post - flooding recovery period for the breedingof willow genotypes destined for areas under risk of flooding. According to ourresults, Salix matsudana could be asource of flooding tolerance for willow breeding programs.