Carbohydrate accumulation and turgor maintenance in seedling shoots and roots of two boreal conifers subjected to water stress

Abstract

Water potential components and organic solutes were examined in shoots and roots of potted jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings after exposure to 7 days of water stress. The osmotic potential at the turgor loss point (ψπTLP) decreased in shoots and roots of water-stressed seedlings of both species, resulting in the maintenance of positive turgor at lower xylem water potentials (ψX) compared with nonstressed seedlings. Following water stress, ψπTLP of shoots and roots declined by 0.28 MPa and 0.14 MPa, respectively, in jack pine, and 0.19 MPa and 0.28 MPa, respectively, in white spruce. The osmotic potential at saturation (ψπ100) was significantly lower after water stress only in jack pine roots. Active osmotic adjustment during water stress was confirmed by higher concentrations of organic solutes in white spruce shoots (1.4 × increase relative to nonstressed plants) and roots (1.7 ×) and in the roots (2.2 ×) but not the shoots of jack pine. Carbohydrates, particularly fructose and glucose, were the primary organic solutes accumulating in both species. Tissue elasticity was greater in the roots than the shoots of both jack pine and white spruce regardless of treatment. Consequently, the relative water content at the turgor loss point was 22% and 18% lower in the roots than in the shoots of jack pine and white spruce, respectively. Osmotic adjustment in the roots and shoots of these two boreal conifers suggests that preconditioning planting stock by exposure to water stress may increase carbohydrate concentrations and enhance seedling drought tolerance. Key words: carbohydrate accumulation, drought tolerance, organic solutes, osmotic adjustment, Picea glauca, Pinus banksiana, water potential components.