Stress responses of spring rape plants to soil flooding

Stress responses of spring rape to soil hypoxia were investigated during 8-days flooding. Soil air-filled porosity decreased from 25-30% to 0%, oxygen diffusion rate - from 2.6-3.5 to 0.34 mu mol O-2 m(-2) s(-1) and redox potential - from 460 to 150 mV within few hours. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity in roots increased up to 7-fold after one day of flooding and then decreased to 170% of control. Superoxide dismutase activity in roots increased by 27% during first 3 days and then dropped to 60% of control; in the leaves superoxide dismutase activity increased in average by 44%. Ascorbate peroxidase activity in leaves increased by 37% during first 3 days and then decreased to control value. Glutathione reductase activity increased by 45% in roots of flooded plants but did not change in leaves. Proline concentration in leaves increased up to 4-fold on the 3d day of flooding and then decreased to control value. Thus soil flooding induces increase of alcohol dehydrogenase activity and subsequent increase of superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase activities in roots while the leaves display a few days increase of free proline concentration and ascorbate peroxidase activity, and a long-term increase of superoxide dismutase activity.