Author(s)

A. A. Alzarqaa, S. S. Roushdy, A. A. Alderfasi, F. A. Al-Yahya, A. A. M. Dawabah

Abstract

The physiological response of mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) to drought stress and root-knot nematode infection was studied under greenhouse conditions at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. A randomized complete block Design (RCBD) with factorial arrangement having three replications was used. Treatments included three water deficit (80%, 40% and 20% of field capacity), two mungbean genotypes (Kawmay-1 and VC2010) and two root-knot nematodem, Meloidogyne javanica (Treub) Chitwood, infection levels (noninfected and infected @ 15000 egg/pot). Results showed that water deficit stress and M. javanica infection significantly hampered most of the studied parameters, except shoot water content (SWC). There were highly significant differences in stomatal conductance, shoot dry weight and leaf area among the tested mungbean genotypes. A significant positive correlation among chlorophyll (a and b) contents, stomatal conductance (SC), leaf area (LA) and shoot dry weight (SDW) was recorded. The outcome of the study also revealed that maximum water deficit stress has adversely affected all parameters except SWC, regardless of the genotype or nematode infection status. Similarly M. javanica infection adversely affected the growth and physiological processes of mungbean plants. Moreover, drought and M. javanica infection had synergistic adverse effects on the growth and physiology of mungbean plants. Results also showed that VC 2010 genotype surpassed kawmay-1 in most of the studied characteristics which could be used for the development of drought as well as nematode resistant genotypes in future breeding programs.

Keywords

drought stress, Meloidogyne javanica, mungbean, stomatal conductivity, leaf area, root-knot nematode, shoot water content