Indicadores fisioquímicos para seleção de plantas de algodão herbáceo tolerantes à seca

Abstract

The cotton culture performs a relevant economical-social importance in Brazil and the entire world, being placed among the ten larger wealth sources in the Brazilian agricultural section. Brazil faces long periods of water shortage in most of the arable areas. Thus, evaluation about water deficit in this culture is necessary. This work was performed in order to evaluate the effect of water stress on growth and water relations of three cotton cultivars (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in greenhouse conditions. An experiment was carried out in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement with three cotton cultivars (7MH, CEDRO and 7H) and four water levels: 25, 50,75 and 100% of field capacity, with five replicates. The height, stem diameter and number of leaves were analyzed. At the end of the experimental period, dry matter of the leaves, stem, roots, root to shoot ratio and biomass allocation were determined and the leaf area was calculated. About the water relations, the parameters analyzed were: transpiration (E), diffusive resistance (rs), pre-dawn and noon leaf water potential (Yw), relative water content (RWC), and soluble carbohydrates, soluble proteins and free proline contents. These analyses were performed in three times (15, 30 and 40 days after differentiation). Water stress reduced the height, number of leaves, stem diameter, and leaf area in all cultivars. Water deficit reduced leaf, stem, and root dry matter. On the hardest treatments, biomass allocation to leaves and roots increased to all cultivars. Root to shoot ratio increased too on the threecultivars in the hardest treatments. At the end of the experimental period, transpiration was elevated in the plants under 25% FC and diffusive resistance was reduced in the three cultivars. The opposite was observed in the plants with good water availability, exception on the cv. CEDRO. Water deficit reduces the leaf water potential in the two evaluation times and the RWC. In general, the three cultivars under severe stress accumulated soluble carbohydrates, free proline and soluble proteins. Evaluating the growth and water relations, the results suggest that cv. 7MH is more adapted to drought, being followed to cv. CEDRO.