Effect of soil drought on the yield structure, protein and phenolics content in Pisum sativum and Lupinus luteus

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility to drought of selected genotypes of pea and yellow lupine. An analysis was made of the changes in protein and phenolics content and how they affect the yield parameters. The plant material consisted of six genotypes of pea and yellow lupine. Seedlings (plants with 5–6 leaves) were subjected to drought at 25% field water capacity for 2 weeks. Soil drought decreased the relative water content (RWC) in the leaves of pea and lupine. On the 14th day of drought the increase in protein content was almost two-folds higher in lupine plants than in pea. The phenolics content showed an increase in both pea and lupine plants on the 1st day of drought (20% and 15%, respectively), while on the 14th day the phenolics content decreased by 2% in pea, and was not significantly different in lupine. Soil drought reduced the values of almost all yield components. Only the 1000-seed weight increased under drought conditions. Based on the drought susceptibility index values for RWC, protein and phenolics content, seed yield and biomass, the least drought-susceptible genotypes were Batuta (pea) and Morocco 4 (lupine), as they had the lowest values of these parameters.