Table 53 Effect of 2.5 ethephon on the number of leaflets of plants from various constructs
Construct Day of treatment No
1 2
3 6
Wild-type 17,000
a
17,000
a
16,833
a
14,833
a
0,333
a
HEV2.1::HbERF-IXc4 37,000
c
37,000
c
34,417
b
30,500
b
0,917
a
35S::HbERF-IXc5 21,333
ab
21,333
ab
21,000
a
19,333
ab
0,000
a
HEV2.1::HbERF-IXc5 31,667
bc
31,667
bc
25,500
a
20,667
ab
1,667
a
The data were analysed with XLSTAT software. Statistical analysis was performed with an ANOVA followed by the Tukey test. Values with the same letter were not significantly different at the 0.05 probability level.
3.7.3.2 The effect of ethephon on leaflet senescence
Treatment of ethephon 2.5 caused leaflet senescence. At the end of observation, there were no leaflets from all lines due to abscission. Furthermore, ethephon treatment
induced leaf physiological changes such as brown and white spots and yellowish leaf colour Chen et al. 2010. Only leaflets from TS18A37 have a brown spot on the surface. The
leaflets of ethephon 2.5 started changing the colour at day-1. The colour of leaflets was not only becoming a yellow, but also had a brown and white spots Figure 70 and 71.
Figure 70 Plants morphology between control wild-type and line TS18A09
HEV2.1::HbERF-IXc4
Figure 71 Leaf morphology which showed brown spot, white spot, wilting, and burned
3.7.4 Effect of water deficit on plant physiology and morphology Water deficit drought influences physiological and developmental changes at
various levels. Expression of ERF1 was rapidly and transiently induced by salt and dehydration treatments. 35S:ERF1 transgenic plants were more tolerant to drought, salt, and
even heat stress. ERF1 can bind to DRE elements in the promoters of drought-stress- responsive genes under drought stress Cheng et al. 2013.
For this experiment, we monitored the effects of water deficit on ecophysiological parameter. Water deficit was induced by the methodology described in Sanier et al. 2013.
This method is based on the fraction of transpirable soil water FTSW Sandras and Milroy 1996. Progressive water deficit influences many physiological processes such as
transpiration, photosynthesis or leaf expansion. These physiological processes are inhibited when soil moisture available for transpiration decreases to values in the range of 40-50,
with a trend that appears to be consistent across a wide range of environments and genotypes. The available soil water was expressed as the fraction of transpirable soil water FTSW
Sandras and Milroy 1996. We developed a water deficit phenotyping platform, using FTSW as a soil moisture co-variable under controlled environmental conditions.
3.7.4.1 Effect of water deficit on FTSW and leaf senescence
