Morphological, physiological, biochemical characteristics and bud success responses of myrobolan 29 c plum rootstock subjected to water stress

Abstract

Water stress treatments on some morphological, biomass, physiological, biochemical characteristics and budding success of apricot and plum cultivars/Myrobolan 29 C plum rootstock have been studied in a pot-experiment trial. Three different water stress levels (control-100 %, medium-75 %, and severe-50 % of the pot capacity) were applied. The results showed that measured morphological, biomass, physiological and biochemical characteristics as well as budding success of cultivars on the rootstocks were affected by water stress. Water stress, both moderate and severe, significantly decreased the relative shoot length, diameter and shoot stem cross sectional area, plant total fresh and dry weights. Increases in water stress led to increases in peroxidase activities, phenol and proline contents in plum rootstock. Increases in water stress also resulted in reduction in budding success in both Formosa (plum cv)/Myrobolan 29 C (90.00 % and 48.33 %) and San Castrese (apricot cv)/Myrobolan 29 C (87.50 % and 42.83 %).