Ecophysiology of Early Growth and Metabolism of Hordeum vulgare L. (Poaceae) Grown Under Different Levels of Water and Chemical Products
摘要
The objective of this study was to evaluate effects caused by adverse hydric conditions associated with seed treatments and the influence these conditions have on the seeds physiological performance and early growth, antioxidant activity and metabolites accumulation in seedlings of different barley cultivars. The experimental design was entirely casualized with factorial scheme 5 × 6x2 (5 cultivars, 6 treatments and 2 water conditions). Cultivars and seed treatments were selected according to the greatest demand for them in the southern region of Brazil, where barley production is concentrated in the country, while the application of water restrictions was performed using Polyethylene glycol 6000. To evaluate the physiological performance, data about germination, first germination count and germination speed index were collected, considering early growth. Meanwhile, for seedlings initial growth, growth and dry mass of the shoots and roots were analyzed. To rate seedlings enzymatic activity, enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, as well as the percentage of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation, were measured. Furthermore, to indicate metabolites accumulation in seedlings, data concerning total soluble sugar, proline and protein were extracted. BRS Quaranta was the cultivar that showed superior results when subjected to hydric restriction and when Triadimenol was used as seed treatment. Seeds physiological performance and seedlings initial growth were reduced when subjected to water restriction. Antioxidant enzymatic activity and metabolites accumulation were increased due to occurrence of water restriction. Triadimenol was the product that caused the greatest phytotoxic effects in barley seeds and seedlings. BRS Quaranta proved to be the least sensitive cultivar to occurrence of water restriction. Therefore, this research had as purpose to verify the behavior of different genotypes under hydric restriction conditions during barley initial establishment, but studies about other abiotic stresses are necessary, for example, high temperatures, low temperatures and flooding, as well as in different stages of barley development, such as tillering, elongation and seed filling.