MORPHOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL INVESTIGATION OF WATER STRESSED TRITICUM SPECIES

Abstract

The purpose of the experiment was to observe the influence of previous, repeated water stress cycles on the response of Triticum monococcum L. and Triticum spelta L. to a subsequent, challenge water stress. The plants were grown in pots, in a growth chamber. Treated plants underwent two water stress cycles, while control plants were kept well watered. In the subsequent challenge water stress cycle both control and treated plants experienced water deficiency. The growth of treated Triticum monococcum plants was 32.9% higher than the growth of control plants in the challenge water stress cycle. There was no difference between the growth of treated and control Triticum spelta plants in the challenge water stress cycle. The leaf-blade/leaf-sheath ratio decreased in the case of both Triticum species as the number of water stress cycles increased. In the case of Triticum monococcum, the number of stomata in the middle part of the leaf-blade was significantly higher (18.7%) in treated plants than in control plants. In the case of Triticum spelta, the number of stomata in the middle part of the leaf-blade was also higher (5.2%) in treated plants than in control plants.