Physiological Characteristic and Biochemical Changes Six Olive (Olea europaea L.) Cultivars under Drought Stress

علوم باغبانی

Article 18, Volume 24, Issue 2, March 2011   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jhorts4.v1389i2.8002

Authors

Mohammad Mahdi Zarrabi^* ; Ali Reza Talaie; Ali Soleimani; Rahim Haddad

Abstract

Abstract
Drought is one of the important environmental stresses affecting plants growth. In order to determine olives molecular tolerance to drought in greenhouse conditions, a factorial experiment was carried out based on randomized complete block design with two factors including stress with two levels: control and treatment, - 1.5 MPa and olive cultivars with six levels (Nabali, Gordal, Arbequine, Zard, Roghani and Feshomi) with three replications. In this study, some indices, such as protein, content peroxidase enzymes, ascorbate peroxidase, betaine content, chlorophyll and the number of stomata were measured. Results showed that drought stress reduced the total soluble protein content and it was different in various cultivars. Also drought stress caused a significant accumulation of peroxidase enzyme in olive leaves. Biochemical results showed that Gordal and Zard cultivars were more tolerant in comparison to other cultivars. The Betaine content showed a significant difference in the drought stress treated cultivars compared to the control ones. Chlorophyll a and b and the total chlorophyll content decreased under stress and this reduction was more in Gordal and Nabali than the other cultivars. Stomata density decreased under drought stress. An increase in stomata density appeared in Gordal and Roghani cultivars. It could be concluded that Nabali and Gordal cultivars are relatively more tolerant to drought stress.

Keywords: Olive, Stress, Peroxidase enzyme, Betaine, chlorophyll