A comparison of ferric-chelate reductase and chlorophyll and growth ratios as indices of selection of quince, pear and olive genotypes under iron deficiency stress

Abstract

Quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.), pear (Pyrus communis L.) and olive (Olea europaea L.) genotypes were evaluated for their tolerance to iron deficiency stress by growing young plants in three types of aerated nutrient solutions: (1) with iron, (2) without iron or (3) low in iron and with 10 mM bicarbonate. Plants were obtained either from rooted softwood cuttings or from germination of seeds. The degree of tolerance was evaluated with several indices: (1) the chlorophyll content, (2) the root Fe3+ reducing capacity and (3) the whole plant relative growth. Fifteen hours before Fe3+ reducing capacity determination, iron was applied to the roots of plants with iron-stress, since this method resulted in increasing the reductase activity. All quince and pear genotypes increased the root Fe3+ reducing capacity when grown in the treatments for iron-stress, in relation to control plants of the same genotypes. In olive cultivars, the Fe3+ reducing capacity was lower in the iron-stress treatments than in the control one. Studying the relationship between relative growth and chlorophyll content for each genotype under iron-stress, in relation to both indices in control plants, a classification of species and genotypes was established. According to that, most olive cultivars and some pear rootstocks and cultivars appear more iron-efficient than quince rootstocks. Our study shows that in some woody species, determining root Fe3+ reducing capacity is not the best method to establish tolerance to iron deficiency stress.