Drought Stress Effects on the Aerial Part Physiology and Macronutrient Uptake in Pear (Pyrus communis L.) Scion-Rootstock Combinations

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Z. Maleki Asayesh 1
K. Arzani 1
A. Mokhtassi-Bidgoli 2
H. Abdollahi 3
1 Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
3 Temperate Fruits Research Center, Horticultural Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Islamic Republic of Iran.
10.22034/JAST.27.1.157
Abstract
Drought is a major abiotic stress in arid and semi-arid areas. This study examines how drought stress and different rootstocks affect aerial part physiology and macronutrient uptake in two seedlings of pear cultivars, 'Dargazi' and 'Louise Bonne,' grafted onto 'Dargazi' and 'Pyrodwarf' rootstocks. Treatments were well-watered as control (100% Field Capacity, FC), moderate (60% FC), and severe drought (30% FC). Drought stress decreased the Root-to-Shoot weight ratio (R/SH), Leaf Relative Water Content (LRWC), Soluble Protein (SP), Photosynthetic Nitrogen Use Efficiency (PNUE), leaf osmotic potential (Ψs), Leaf potassium (LK+), Root Calcium (RCa2+), Root Nitrogen (RN), Stomatal aperture (SA), net photosynthetic rate (An), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (gs), and instantaneous carboxylation Efficiency of Rubisco (EiC) in all scion-rootstock combinations. Under drought stress, levels of proline (Prol), Glycine Betaine (GB), Total Soluble Carbohydrate (TSC), root potassium (RK+), leaf calcium (LCa2+), leaf nitrogen (LN), leaf and root phosphorus (P) increased. 'Dargazi' as the cultivar or rootstock showed better instantaneous Water Use Efficiency (WUEi), Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency (NUtE), and Nitrogen Uptake Efficiency (NUpE), with higher LN, LNO3−, LNH4+, Prol, and Ψs under severe stress. 'Louise Bonne' had higher amounts of R/SH weight ratio, Total Nitrogen Accumulation (TNA), leaf and root nitrate reductase activity (NRA), An, intracellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci), E, and root nitrate (RNO3−) under moderate stress. 'Pyrodwarf' rootstock demonstrated the highest TNA and RCa2+ under moderate stress conditions. These results indicated that 'Dargazi' demonstrated better tolerance under severe stress, while 'Pyrodwarf' and 'Louise Bonne' were more effective under moderate stress conditions.

Keywords

Subjects

Abenavoli, M.R., Longo, C., Lupini, A., Miller, A.J., Araniti, F., Mercati, F., Princi, M.P., Sunseri, F., 2016. Phenotyping two tomato genotypes with different nitrogen use efficiency. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 107, 21-32.
Aliniaeifard, S., Asayesh, Z.M., Driver, J., Vahdati, K., 2020. Stomatal features and desiccation responses of Persian walnut leaf as caused by in vitro stimuli aimed at stomatal closure. Trees 34, 1219-1232.
Arzani K (1994) Horticultural and physiological aspects of vigor control in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) under orchard and controlled environment conditions. Ph.D. Thesis. Department of Plant Science, Massey University. New Zealand.
Arzani, K., 2017. The potential and limiting environmental conditions on fruit trees
germplasm and yield of established orchards in Iran. In: Proceedings of the First
International Horticultural Science Conference of Iran (IrHC2017). Tarbiat Modares
University (TMU), Tehran Iran, p. 110. September 4-7Abstracts Book.
Arzani, K., 2021. The National Asian Pear (Pyrus serotina Rehd) project in Iran: compatibility and commercial studies of introduced cultivars, Acta Hortic, pp. 91-98.
Asayesh, M.Z., Vahdati, K., Aliniaeifard, S., 2017. Investigation of physiological components involved in low water conservation capacity of in vitro walnut plants. Scientia Horticulturae 224, 1-7.
Asayesh, Z.M., Aliniaeifard, S., Vahdati, K., 2021. Stomatal morphology and desiccation response of Persian walnut tissue culture plantlets influenced by the gelling agent of in vitro culture medium. Journal of Nuts 12, 41-52.
Asayesh, Z.M., Arzani, K., Mokhtassi-Bidgoli, A., Abdollahi, H., 2022. Macronutrients Uptake and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Dargazi Seedling and Pyrodwarf Clonal Rootstocks Under Drought Stress Conditions. Seed and Plant Journal 37 (4): 489-511 (In Persian)
Asayesh, Z.M., Arzani, K., Mokhtassi-Bidgoli, A., Abdollahi, H., 2023. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic response of grafted and ungrafted young European pear (Pyrus communis L.) trees to drought stress. Scientia Horticulturae 310, 111745.
Bates, L., Waldren, R., Teare, I., 1973. Rapid determination of free proline for water-stress studies. Plant and soil 39, 205-207.
Black, B.L., Fuchigami, L.H., Coleman, G.D., 2002. Partitioning of nitrate assimilation among leaves stems, and roots of poplar. Tree Physiology 22, 717-724.
Blum, A., 2017. Osmotic adjustment is a prime drought stress adaptive engine in support of plant production. Plant, cell & environment 40, 4-10.
Bradford, M., 1976. Rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein–dye binding. Anal Biochem 72, 248-254.
Brautigam, A., Gagneul, D., Weber, A.P., 2007. High-throughput colorimetric method for the parallel assay of glyoxylic acid and ammonium in a single extract. Analytical Biochemistry 362, 151-153.
Clavijo-Herrera, J., Van Santen, E., Gomez, C., 2018. Growth, water-use efficiency, stomatal conductance, and nitrogen uptake of two lettuce cultivars grown under different percentages of blue and red light. Horticulturae 4, 16.
Dayer, S., Scharwies, J.D., Ramesh, S.A., Sullivan, W., Doerflinger, F.C., Pagay, V., Tyerman, S.D., 2020. Comparing hydraulics between two grapevine cultivars reveals differences in stomatal regulation under water stress and exogenous ABA applications. Frontiers in plant science 11, 705.
de Freitas, S.T., Mitcham, E.I., 2012. 3 factors involved in fruit calcium deficiency disorders. Horticultural Reviews 40, 107-146.
Dinh, T.H., Watanabe, K., Takaragawa, H., Nakabaru, M., Kawamitsu, Y., 2017. Photosynthetic response and nitrogen use efficiency of sugarcane under drought stress conditions with different nitrogen application levels. Plant Production Science 20, 412-422.
Ferree, D.C., Schmid, J., 2000. Chemical thinning 'Fuji' apple in the midwest. Journal of American Pomological Society 54, 61-67.
Ferrer, F., Pla, I., Fonseca, F., Dalurzo, H., Villar, J., 2008. Combining field and laboratory methods to calculate soil water content at field capacity and permanent wilting point, 10th Congress of the European Society for Agronomy. Bologna-Italy Rivista di Agronomia. 3: 279-280.
Flexas, J., Bota, J., Loreto, F., Cornic, G., Sharkey, T., 2004. Diffusive and metabolic limitations to photosynthesis under drought and salinity in C3 plants. Plant biology 6, 269-279.
Grieve, C., Grattan, S., 1983. Rapid assay for determination of water-soluble quaternary ammonium compounds. Plant and soil 70, 303-307.
Huang, L., Li, M., Shao, Y., Sun, T., Li, C., Ma, F., 2018a. Ammonium uptake increases in response to PEG-induced drought stress in Malus hupehensis Rehd. Environmental and Experimental Botany 151, 32-42.
Huang, L., Li, M., Zhou, K., Sun, T., Hu, L., Li, C., Ma, F., 2018b. Uptake and metabolism of ammonium and nitrate in response to drought stress in Malus prunifolia. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 127, 185-193.
Iqbal, A., Dong, Q., Wang, X., Gui, H., Zhang, H., Zhang, X., Song, M., 2020. High nitrogen enhance drought tolerance in cotton through antioxidant enzymatic activities, nitrogen metabolism, and osmotic adjustment. Plants 9, 178.
Jaleel, C.A., Manivannan, P., Wahid, A., Farooq, M., Al-Juburi, H.J., Somasundaram, R., Panneerselvam, R., 2009. Drought stress in plants: a review on morphological characteristics and pigments composition. Int. J. Agric. Biol 11, 100-105.
Karbasi, M., and Arzani, K., (2021) Asian and European pear scion-rootstock interactions and Pyrodwarf rootstock root growth and distribution. Acta Hortic. 1315: 63-68.
Liang, B., Li, C., Ma, C., Wei, Z., Wang, Q., Huang, D., Chen, Q., Li, C., Ma, F., 2017. Dopamine alleviates nutrient deficiency-induced stress in Malus hupehensis. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 119, 346-359.
Martıinez, J.-P., Lutts, S., Schanck, A., Bajji, M., Kinet, J.-M., 2004. Is osmotic adjustment required for water stress resistance in the Mediterranean shrub Atriplex halimus L? Journal of Plant Physiology 161, 1041-1051.
Qian, W., LIU, C.-h., HUANG, D., DONG, Q.-l., LI, P.-m., van NOCKER, S., 2020. Physiological evaluation of nitrogen use efficiency of different apple cultivars under various nitrogen and water supply conditions. Journal of Integrative Agriculture 19, 709-720.
Roelfsema, M.R.G., Hedrich, R., 2002. Studying guard cells in the intact plant: modulation of stomatal movement by apoplastic factors. New Phytologist 153, 425-431.
Singh, J., 1988. A rapid method for determination of nitrate in soil and plant extracts. Plant and soil 110, 137-139.
Sussmilch, F.C., Brodribb, T.J., McAdam, S.A., 2017. What are the evolutionary origins of stomatal responses to abscisic acid in land plants? Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 59, 240-260.
Vandoorne, B., Mathieu, A.-S., Van den Ende, W., Vergauwen, R., Périlleux, C., Javaux, M., Lutts, S., 2012. Water stress drastically reduces root growth and inulin yield in Cichorium intybus (var. sativum) independently of photosynthesis. Journal of Experimental Botany 63, 4359-4373.
Wang, H., Yang, Z., Yu, Y., Chen, S., He, Z., Wang, Y., Jiang, L., Wang, G., Yang, C., Liu, B., 2017. Drought enhances nitrogen uptake and assimilation in maize roots. Agronomy Journal 109, 39-46.
Wang, Z., Li, G., Sun, H., Ma, L., Guo, Y., Zhao, Z., Gao, H., Mei, L., 2018. Effects of drought stress on photosynthesis and photosynthetic electron transport chain in young apple tree leaves. Biology Open 7 bio035279.
Wei-Feng, W., Yu-Zheng, Z., 2014. Water and nitrogen-use efficiencies of sweet sorghum seedlings are improved under water stress. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology 16(2):285-292.
Wu, F., Bao, W., Li, F., Wu, N., 2008. Effects of water stress and nitrogen supply on leaf gas exchange and fluorescence parameters of Sophora davidii seedlings. Photosynthetica 46, 40-48.
Xia, H., Xu, T., Zhang, J., Shen, K., Li, Z., Liu, J., 2020. Drought-induced responses of nitrogen metabolism in Ipomoea batatas. Plants 9, 1341.
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 27, Issue 1
January and February 2025
Pages 157-177