Evaluation of groundnut genotypes for heat tolerance

Heat tolerance of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes was evaluated by solute leakage and chlorophyll fluorescence techniques in heat-hardened and nonhardened plants. To determine the appropriate hardening treatment, 1-month-old plants of two groundnut genotypes, ICGV 86707 and Chico were conditioned at five combinations of hardening (37 degrees C) and non-hardening (30 degrees C) air temperatures over a 5-day period. Heat injury, was assessed through measurements of electrolyte leakage after stressing leaf discs to 55 degrees C for 15 min. The relative injury was significantly influenced by the conditioning temperatures and by the temperature during 24 h prior to measurement if those involved non-hardening conditions. Relative injury and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured after stressing leaves of six genotypes at a range of temperatures between 49 degrees C and 55 degrees C. Significant genotype x hardening treatment interactions were observed in relative injury and chlorophyll fluorescence. Chico was susceptible to heat stress, the relative injury test identified ICGV 86707 as tolerant, and the chlorophyll fluorescence test identified ICGV 86707 as tolerant under hardened conditions and ICGV 87358 as tolerant when non-hardened. When expressed as percentage of control values, the relative injury and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements over the 49-53 degrees C stress temperature range were strongly correlated. Chlorophyll concentrations were increased by hardening in all genotypes except Chico. In Chico, chl(b) concentration was decreased and the chl(a/b) ratio increased by hardening, and chlorophyll concentrations were correlated with chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. Chlorophyll concentration may therefore provide an alternative means of screening for heat tolerance.