Utilization of Selection Indexes for Adaptive Responses of Black Poplar (Populus nigra L.) to Drought Stress

Year 2017, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 1 - 16, 30.09.2017

Kubilay Yıldırım

Abstract

Determination of drought adaptation strategies on
plant species is highly important to develop resistant cultivars. Drought
resistance mechanisms known as drought escape, avoidance and tolerance should
be investigated and associated with several mathematical indices in especially
tree species. Therefore, the major aim of this study was to identify drought
adaptation strategies with these indices for tree species by using poplar as a
model organism. Black poplar clone collection including 300 individuals
collected from all around Turkey was tested in a field trial. The growth and
biomass production capacities of these individuals with several physiological
traits were measured and compared in rainy and drought periods. Mean Relative
Performance (MRP) and Stress tolerance Index (STI) were used to identify
adaptive responses of black poplar to drought stress. In the study, MRP favored
drought tolerant genotypes having the highest biomass production. Genotypes
with higher STI values exhibited drought avoidance mechanism which
characterized with low productivity but much higher drought resistance. On the
other hand, lower STI was associated to drought escape genotypes which revealed
the lowest growth performance and the highest defoliation rates under drought.
In the current study, relationship between antioxidant enzyme activities and
drought adaptations were also investigated on the leaves of selected clones. Higher
enzyme activates associated with drought escape strategy in the study.

Keywords

Populus nigra, drougt, selection index, adaptation

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