Características fisiológicas de mudas de craibeira sob condições de deficiência hídrica

Abstract

Tabebuia aurea is a native species of the Caatinga biome, popularly called “craibeira”, able to grow and develop itself under adverse conditions. The objective of this study is to evaluate the physiological characteristics of this plant under hydric stress conditions. Thus, the experiment was conducted in pots in a greenhouse with seedlings of approximately three months which were submitted to 29 days at controlled environmental conditions applying nine replicates per each distinct treatment: controlled (irrigated), with soil hydric potential around-0.26 MPa and under stress, with hydric potential of -4.88 MPa. After this period of culture, morphological and physiological characteristics of the plants were evaluated. It was verified that under hydric stress, plants decrease the leaf area and accumulated dry mass in leaf and stem. Other reductions were presented in the hydric potential in leaves (during predawn and noon) SPAD index, stomatal conductance, transpiration, photosynthesis, effective quantum efficiency of photosystem II. In the other hand, there is an increase in the instantaneous and intrinsic water efficiencies, leaf proline content, besides the grown in activity of enzymes dismutase superoxide and ascorbate peroxidase. Considering these resu7lts, the conclusion is the hydric stress leads a limitation of the leaf dydric potential and the stomatal opening, causing injury in the photosynthesis process. As a consequence, Tabebuia aurea has damage in dry mass accumulation. Despite this species is under the effects of hydric defict, it occurred proline osmoregulatory activity and enzymatic antioxidant system protective activity against the harmful effects of oxygen reactive species; there was no cellmembrane degradation . the studied species has rusticity and phenotypic plasticity . Thus, it is probably recommended for reforestation processes once the drought resistance potential enables to support low levels of soil hydric potential , high levels of vapor pressure deficit and solar radiation, due to the adjustment of its metabolism under adverse conditions