biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 54:293-298, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0051-x

Cold tolerance, water relations and accumulation of osmolytes in Bituminaria bituminosa

D. J. Walker^1,*, P. Romero², E. Correal¹

¹ Departamento de Recursos Naturales, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario, Murcia, Spain

² Departamento de Viticultura, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario, Murcia, Spain

We determined the cold (freezing) tolerance of five Spanish populations of the perennial shrub Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C.H. Stirton (Fabaceae), as the temperature at which 50 % of leaf electrolytes are released (LT₅₀) using leaves of field-grown plants, obtained in two winters and one spring. The freezing tolerance was greater in winter and reflected the minimum temperatures at the original sites from which the populations were obtained. Tolerance in vitro was related to osmotic adjustment in the leaves; more negative osmotic potential values and more positive pressure potential values (MPa) were associated with greater tolerance. Tolerance and osmotic potential were not related to leaf cation contents but to leaf amino acids, soluble sugar and proline contents.

Keywords: amino acids; cations; freezing; osmotic adjustment; proline; sugars

Subjects: amino acids; Bituminaria bituminosa; calcium; growth and growth analysis; magnesium; osmotic adjustment; osmotic potential; potassium; pressure potential; proline; relative water content (RWC); sodium; starch; stress resistance; sugars; temperature low; water potential

Received: August 6, 2008; Accepted: January 5, 2009; Published: June 1, 2010  Show citation