Drought - Induced Accumulation of Soluble Sugars and Proline in Two Pigeon Pea (Cajanus Cajan L.Millsp.) Cultivars

Abstract

Water deficit induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) affect physiological and biochemical changes in pigeon pea. Stress was applied with polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 and water potentials were: zero (control), -0.3Mpa (PEG50mM), -1.1Mpa (PEG100mM) and -2.3Mpa (150mM).ICPL 85063(lakshmi) and ICPL 87119 (Asha) cultivars of pigeon pea were used in this study. In our experiments, increase in the free proline content during water stress condition suggests that proline is one of the common compatible osmolytes under water stress condition. A higher amount of soluble sugars and a lower amount of starch were found under stress. The maximum amount of proline in ICPL 85063var where as ICPL87119var depicted an opposite trend in accumulation of proline. There is an increase in root proline content than shoot in ICPL 85063. The accumulation of soluble sugars in root and shoot in ICPL 85063 is high when compared to roots and shoots in ICPL 87119var. Starch content decreased in root and shoot of lakshmi var. than asha var.