Genetic-physiological basis of legume crops resistance to drought stress

Abstract

Goal. Identify the effective criteria for drought tolerances of leguminous crops, based on their basis evaluate the recommendation for cultivating soybean cultivars and discuss the mechanisms of resistance on the organism and molecular levels. Methods. The collection and breeding genotypes of soybean, chickpea and pea were grown in field and laboratory experiments as well as cultivars included in the State register of plant varieties suitable for dissemination in Ukraine. The reaction of soybean plants on the effect of water stress was determined in climatic chambers at the temperature of 30–32 °C. Results. The genetic variability in absorption of water by seeds of various soybean cultivars was detected especially at the initial stages of soaking. The tolerance to drought is associated with the level of free proline accumulation and water-keeping proteins in the leaves, the area of the leaf surface, the loss of moisture by the plant for a certain period, the development of the root system. Soybean cultivars Arcadia odesskaya and Hodson distinguished by increased resistance to drought. Conclusions. Tested in the field and laboratory conditions methods for determining resistance to water stress may be recommended for use in breeding research with agricultural crops. Keywords: breeding of leguminous crops, drought tolerance, adaptability to high temperature.