ABSTRACT:
Orthodox seed serves as popular model to investigate desiccation-sensitivity in plant tissues because once they undergo germination, become susceptible towards desiccation induced damages. In the study undertaken, impacts of rate of desiccation on the viability status, leakage of cellular electrolytes, content of superoxide anion radical, lipid-protein oxidation and activities of defense enzymes were monitored in early seedlings of Cicer arietinum L. under desiccation and wet storage. For both the drying conditions, desiccation could be explained by exponential and inverse functions. Under rapid desiccation tissue viability as measured by germination efficiency and tetrazolium staining remained 100% all through the analysis (24 h) but declined remarkably (P < 0.05) after 0.30 g g' fresh mass water content (4 days) under slow drying. Moreover, considerable decline (P < 0.05) in tissue viability was observed after two weeks of wet storage. Rapid drying was also accompanied with limited amounts of electrolyte leakage, superoxide anion radical, malondialdehyde and protein hydroperoxide, together with enhanced content of protein. Additionally, activities of both superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase were increased in rapidly dried radicles, but guaiacol peroxidase was declined. In contrary, above referred biomarkers were observed to perform either inversely or poorly during slow drying and wet storage suggesting that above documented alterations might be the resultant of ageing and not desiccation. Gathered data demonstrated that increased drying lowers the critical water content for tissue survival and also reduces the risk of damage resulting from aqueous-based deleterious reactions. Additionally, it also showed that growing radicles are a popular model to explore desiccation- sensitivity in plant tissues and/or seeds.
Cite this article:
Keshavkant, Tandon and Chandra (2016). Responses of Cicer arietinum L. Radicles Towards Different Rates of Drying. Journal of Ravishankar University (Part-B: Science), 29(1), pp.90-91.