Phenolic parameters under exogenous ABA, water stress, salt stress in two wheat cultivars varying in drought tolerance

Phenolic parameters were studied in two wheat cultivars PBW 343 (drought susceptible) and C 306 (drought tolerant) under exogenous ABA, water stress (WS) and salt stress (SS). ABA decreased shoot length and increased root length in both cultivars, where increase of root length was higher in C 306. It increased lignin, phenolics, cell wall-associated peroxidases and polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) in shoots and roots of both cultivars, however, increases in peroxidases and PPOs were higher in C 306, while increases of lignin and phenolics were higher in PBW 343. Under WS and SS, parameters were regulated in almost the same manner as under ABA, except increases of cell wall-associated PPOs were higher in PBW 343 than C 306 under WS. Root lignin content was negatively related to root growth. Cell-wall associated peroxidases were not related to growth or lignin. PBW 343 showed improved growth under SS than WS. © 2015, Indian Society for Plant Physiology.