The intensity of and recovery from photoinhibition under drought in a thermotolerant common bean compared to drought tolerant genotypes

Abstract

The chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters of four Phaseolus vulgaris L. genotypes were evaluated under drought in two greenhouse experiments. Under severe water stress, the thermotolerant genotype 'Diplomata' maintained significantly higher values of predawn leaf water potential (Ψw), maximum Fv/Fm and effective (ΦPSII) quantum yield of photosystem II , and non-photochemical quenching than 'Ouro Negro', in the first experiment, and 'A 285' and 'A 222', in the second one. Among these parameters, Fv/Fm showed more differences that discriminated between the genotype responses even when measured at night. Next, a difference between Fv/Fm after sundown and Fv/Fm at dawn on the same day (day ∆Fv/Fm), i.e., the intensity of photoinhibition, and a difference between Fv/Fm at dawn and Fv/Fm after sundown on the day before (night ∆Fv/Fm), i.e. the photoinhibition recovery, were evaluated. Day ∆Fv/Fm and night ∆Fv/Fm were significantly higher for 'Diplomata' under severe water stress in both experiments. In addition, 'Ouro Negro' in the first experiment and all the genotypes in the second showed negative values of night ∆Fv/Fm on the last day of drought when their Ψw were also minimal indicating no recovery from photoinhibition and the need for rehydration. At maturation, stressed plants of 'Diplomata' showed a significantly higher yield than 'Ouro Negro' in the first experiment and the same as 'A 285' in the second. Therefore, the thermotolerant genotype 'Diplomata' also showed drought tolerance, and the use of day ∆Fv/Fm and night ∆Fv/Fm fluorescence analysis was able to discriminate between the tolerances of these genotypes and to indicate the need for rehydration.

Keywords

• chlorophyll a fluorescence
• leaf water potential
• leaf soluble protein content
• phaseolus vulgaris l.
• water deficit