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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sugarbeet and Potato Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #364417
Research Project: Increasing Sugar Beet Productivity and Sustainability through Genetic and Physiological Approaches

Location: Sugarbeet and Potato Research

Title: Effect of drought stress on plant growth, photosynthesis, and proline metabolism in sugarbeet

Author
item LAFTA, ABBAS - North Dakota State University
item Fugate, Karen
item Eide, John
item FINGER, FERNANDO - Universidade Federal De Vicosa
item KHAN, MOHAMED - North Dakota State University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/10/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Drought stress is one of the major abiotic stresses that causes yield and economic loss in crops worldwide. The stress limits plant growth and influences many physiological processes in plants, including proline metabolism. In sugarbeet, the effects of drought stress on plant growth and proline metabolism are not well characterized. To better understand and quantify the impact of water stress on plant growth and proline metabolism, greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of different levels of water stress on plant growth, leaf photosynthesis, proline content, and enzyme activities and gene expression of proteins involved in proline metabolism in leaves and roots of sugarbeet plants. Plants were grown in 15-liter pots for 18 weeks with supplemental light under a 16 h light/8 h dark regime and subjected to water stress for 1 or 2 weeks prior to harvest. Shoot and root growth, leaf photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance, and total chlorophyll were reduced by water stress. Proline content increased in leaves and roots in association with an increase in the activities of the proline synthesizing enzymes, pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS), pyrroline-5-carboxylase reductase (P5CR) and ornithine aminotransferase (OAT). Changes in gene expression of P5CS and OAT, but not P5CR, were enhanced by water stress. The activity of proline dehydrogenase (PDH) was not affected by water stress although PDH expression was upregulated in roots but not leaves. These results indicate that drought stress impacts plant growth and enhances proline synthesis in sugarbeet leaves and roots.