Open Access

REVIEW

Screening and evaluation of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes for waterlogging tolerance at seedling stage

MD. REZWAN MOLLA^1,2,4, MD. MOTIAR ROHMAN^2,*, MD. ROBYUL ISLAM^1,2, MIRZA HASANUZZAMAN^3,*, LUTFUL HASSAN⁴

1 Plant Genetic Resources Centre (PGRC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur, 1701, Bangladesh
2 Molecular Breeding Lab, Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur, 1701, Bangladesh
3 Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
4 Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh

* Corresponding Authors: Md. Motiar Rohman, ; Mirza Hasanuzzaman,

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Plant Cell Biology Research)

BIOCELL 2022, 46(7), 1613-1627. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2022.019243

Received 11 September 2021; Accepted 17 November 2021; Issue published 17 March 2022

Abstract

Waterlogging is an illustrious abiotic stress and the constrictions it enforces on plant roots have negative effects on growth and development. This study was undertaken to investigate waterlogging stress tolerant potential in chilli (Capsicum annum L.) genotypes through evaluating morphological, physiological, biochemical and anatomical parameters. Thirty-five days old seedlings of 10 chilli genotypes were exposed to waterlogging stress maintaining water height 3–5 cm over the soil surface artificially for three days. This duration (36–38 DAE) was termed as waterlogging period, and subsequent withdrawal of waterlogging condition (39–45 DAE) was regarded as a recovery phase. Based on their survival performance, two tolerant genotypes viz., SRC-517 and BARI morich-2 and two susceptible genotypes viz., AHM-206 and RI-1(6) were selected for studying stress tolerance mechanism. Under waterlogging, however, both genotypes (tolerant and susceptible) exhibited reduced root shoot length, dry weight ratio, petiole weight and leaf area, and noticeable reduction regarding these parameters was observed in susceptible genotypes. Moreover, tolerant genotypes displayed a higher recovery than susceptible genotypes after removal of waterlogging stress. Lower reduction of leaf area and photosynthetic pigments as well as higher reduction of relative water content (RWC) were noticed in susceptible genotypes. Higher accumulation of proline and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) during waterlogging condition in tolerant genotypes suggested lower oxidative damage. Although both genotypes lost total soluble sugar (TSS) relative to control at waterlogging stress, better performance was recorded in tolerant genotypes. During the period after the removal of extra water, a similar genotypic response in terms of TSS gain was seen. Undoubtedly, under flooding conditions, the development of aerenchyma cells in tolerant genotypes is a means of tolerance mechanism for long-term survival. Thus, the morpho-physiological and biochemical changes help to understand the tolerance mechanism in chilli under waterlogging stress.

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