Estratégias fisiológicas à restrição hídrica de Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl com e sem tricomas

Abstract

Faveleira is an arboreal species, an exclusive pioneer of the xerophilous forests of Brazilian Northeast. Due to its characteristics of resistance to drought and multiple uses by communities of the northeastern semi-arid region, the species is indicated for plantations in xerophilous cultivation. The faveleira has stinging trichomes that hinder its handling, but few individuals without trichomes occur in nature and can be used to better exploit the species' potentials. The tolerance mechanisms used by the faveleira have been the subject of researches that generate important information for breeding programs. Thus, the aim of this research was to evaluate adaptive tolerance responses, mainly the osmotic adjustment caused by the accumulation of compatible solutes and the alterations of the antioxidant defense systems in faveleira plants with and without trichomes submitted to water deficit. For this, two approaches were considered using the two phenotypes: the effect of compatible solutes and the plant responses to oxidative stress during initial growth. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at UFRPE. Faveleira seedlings with and without trichomes were cultivated under two water regimes: watering at 80% of the pot capacity (C - control) up to 105 days and irrigation suspension (SR) until 60 days and later watering replacement at 80% of the pot capacity until the 105th day after starting the treatments. The statistical design was completely randomized in factorial arrangement (two phenotypes and two water regimes). The first approach was to evaluate plant height, stem diameter and number of leaves emitted every 15 days, and the absolute growth rate (TCA) was calculated. In this research, to evaluate the accumulation of compatible solutes and their effects, at 60 and 105 days, the osmotic potential (Ψs) and the contents of the compatible solvents total soluble carbohydrates, sucrose, proline and glycine betaine, were evaluated. The water deficit caused a reduction in growth. The suspension of irrigation also caused a decrease in leaf emission, which proved to be the most sensitive variable to the effects of the water deficit. The faveleira adopted as a tolerance strategy the osmotic adjustment which was indicated by decrease of Ψs and elevation of the accumulation of compatible solutes in the SR treatment. The species was shown to be glycine betaine accumulator, since the accumulation of the compound in plants exposed to the water deficit. For the studies on oxidative stress, dry shoot and root biomass, relative water content (TRA), percentage of electrolyte extravasation (% EE), percentage of absolute membrane integrity (PIA), pigment contents Photosynthesizers, chlorophyll a (Chla) and b (Chlb) and carotenoids (Car), malondialdehyde content (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and enzyme activities superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT). The decrease in Cloa / b, TRA and PIA ratios and elevation of EE and H2O2 and MDA levels indicated the occurrence of oxidative stress in plants exposed to water deficit. The elevation carotenoids levels and in the enzymatic activities of SOD, APX and CAT in plants under water stress demonstrate the activation of the defense against oxidative stress in these plants. The use of osmotic adjustment through compatible solutes accumulation and activation of non enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant defense systems were strategies adopted by faveleira as stress tolerance strategies independent of the presence of trichomes in the species.