Evaluation of the osmotic adjustment response within the genus Beta.

Abstract

Beta genus includes both industrial and horticultural species, and wild species and subspecies, which are possible reservoirs of agronomically important characters. Among the traits for which Beta has been recently studied, drought tolerance or avoidance is one of the most important. In this work, relative water content and the osmotic potential in well-watered and stressed conditions of three beet types, one B. vulgaris subspecies and one species other than B. vulgaris, all belonging to the Beta genus, were analysed. In addition, relative water content, succulence index and osmotic potential were measured during a three-week water deprivation period, and the osmotic adjustment was estimated for each Beta accession. The results showed that succulence was higher for B. vulgaris ssp. maritima. It was also shown that all Beta accessions were capable of adjusting osmotically, but that the B. vulgaris maritima accession examined had a higher osmotic adjustment value compared to the accessions belonging to cultivated Beta types, and that the accession of the wild species Beta webbiana had a comparatively limited capacity to adjust osmotically.