Endogenous reduced ascorbate: an indicator of plant water deficit stress in wheat

Abstract

Ascorbic acid plays an important role in scavenging the reactive oxygen species under abiotic stress. In this study, the association of endogenous reduced ascorbate with drought stress tolerance has been investigated in wheat genotypes at reproductive stage. Endogenous reduced ascorbate content of twenty-nine wheat genotypes under irrigated and water deficit condition showed a wide genotypic variability and a decreasing trend under drought. Our study indicated that endogenous level of reduced ascorbate content under irrigated condition is responsible for drought stress tolerance. Genotypes with higher level of reduced ascorbate under irrigated condition also showed higher level of membrane stability, chlorophyll content under drought condition as compared to the genotypes having low reduced ascorbate. The genotypes with higher reduced ascorbate under irrigated condition also had a low drought susceptibility index compared to the genotypes having low endogenous reduced ascorbate.