Effects of varied water regimes on root length, dry matter partitioning and endogenous plant growth regulators in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to quantify the effect of varied water regimes on root length, partitioning of dry matter and plant growth regulators by using sunflower genotypes differing in maturity and drought tolerance. Significant depressing effect of drought stress was evident on traits (i.e., reproductive dry matter, leaf area index and cytokinin concentrations in leaves). However, root/shoot, reproductive/vegetative ratios and Abscisic acid (ABA) concentration were found to increase under drought stress. Drought stress also changed the dry matter accumulation pattern of genotypes. In most cases it reduced the days to reach the maximum peak showing early senescence. ABA was identified as a multi-functional plant growth regulator under drought stress, causing early senescence of plants and translocation of assimilates to the roots and reproductive part while root growth under drought stress was explained by the indole-acetic acid (IAA) concentrations. Maintaining higher cytokinin contents were involved in accumulation of higher reproductive dry matter under drought stress. Although ABA and IAA were both involved in the development of defense responses during the adaptation and survival to drought stress but higher productivity under drought stress was only realized through maintaining higher cytokinin contents.