Growth and photosynthetic reactions of different species of wheat seedlings under drought and salt stress

Background and Purpose: Comprehension of how the different representatives of the tribe Triticeae tolerate to abiotic stresses is essential for the discovery of new tolerance sources and therefore for the development of breeding and genetic researches in stress tolerance improvement of such important crops as wheat. The aim of the study was to identify growth reactions and associated changes in the photosynthetic apparatus of different wheat species in response to drought and salt stress. Materials and Methods The changes of seedlings growth parameters of 6 wheat species under the influence of the drought and salt stress under laboratory conditions were investigated. Content chlorophyll a and b was determined. The fluorescence quantum yield of photosystem II and electron transport rate through the photosystem II (ETR) was studied. Results: The relationship between changes in growth activity of seedlings of different wheat species under abiotic stresses and the work of the photosynthetic apparatus was showed. The tetraploid species T. dicoccum Schuebl. and T. aethiopicum Jakubz. were marked because they possess the most stable root system development indicators and a relatively high photosynthetic activity under stress. Conclusions: The results of this research are very promising. They showed a variety of evolutionarily developed physiological mechanisms of protection from the effects of abiotic stresses. They allowed identifying the species as possessing the most stable indicators of growth and a relatively high photosynthetic activity under drought and salt stress. These species can be recommended as salinity and drought tolerance sources for interspecific crosses for different genetic programs.