Physiological and biochemical features of apricot drought resistance

During the summer seasons of 2020-2021, the drought resistance of 6 cultivars of Prunus armeniaca Lam. of various origin was studied on the basis of the collection plantings of the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens - the National Scientific Center. The results of the study of the parameters of the water regime of leaves, the quantitative content of photosynthetic pigments and phenolic compounds are presented. The assessment of the degree of potential ability of apricot cultivars to tolerate moisture deficiency during periods of maximum influence of arid factors of the summer season on the Southern Coast of the Crimea is given. It was found that the genotypes 'Nagycorosi Orias', 'Professor Smykov' and 'Kazachok' have a high adaptive ability to the action of hydrothermal stress. These cultivars are characterized by increased water-retaining forces of leaves and a high level of tissue repair, due to which they can carry out normal physiological and biochemical processes in conditions of soil and atmospheric drought. 'Khurmai' cultivar shows labile stability. 'Krymsky Amur' demonstrates the instability of the indicators of the water regime, and relatively weak resistance to high temperatures and lack of moisture during critical periods of vegetation. The maximum content of chlorophylls "a" and "b" was found in the leaves of 'Kazachok' and 'Nagycorosi Orias' cultivars, the minimum - in the leaves of 'Alupkinsky' cultivar. Under the prolonged influence of atmospheric and soil drought, the dependence of the accumulation of chlorophylls on the degree of resistance of each cultivar is manifested: a decrease in the content of photosynthetic pigments was observed, most pronounced in the drought-resistant cultivars 'Alupkinsky' and 'Krymsky Amur'. The cultivars relatively resistant to hydrothermal stress showed an increase in the concentration of phenolic substances by the end of the summer season, whereas the unstable cultivars either decreased or remained at the same level at the end of summer.

apricot, water regime, drought resistance, water deficiency, water retention capacity, turgor, photosynthetic pigments, phenolic substances

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