Physiological Response of Sea Buckthorn (Elaeagnus rhamnoides (L.) A. Nelson) to Water-Use Strategies

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We investigated the response of Sea Buckthorn to drought in a nursery experiment that has been studied for the first time in the world for Iranian Sea Buckthorn. Biomass and physiological differences in response to drought were compared between four Elaeagnus rhamnoides seedlings inhabited in Qazvin Province origin seeds of Iran. The experimental design included four water regimes including 2, 4, 8 and 12 days irrigation and three blocks. Water Use Efficiency (WUE), Relative Water Content (RWC), Water Potential (WP), Water Saturation Deficit (WSD), Root and shoot weight of fresh leaves were determined at the end of the watering treatment (four months). We found that drought tolerance was highly related to the plant physiology in E. rhamnoides. With the extension of drought stress from 2 to 12 days, E. rhamnoides seedlings WUE was increased; between one and second treatment, also between third and fourth treatments we observed significant difference. RWC gradually was declined with decreasing water supplies. WP was decreased, while drought was increased from first to last treatment. WSD gradually was increased by accelerating drought in all treatments. WSD values did not differ significantly between treatments three and four. Significant differences at 0.05 levels were not observed between 8 and 12 days-irrigated in both of R and S weight, but in all treatments was decreased toward drought. Our results provided new clue and new insight to study the drought-tolerant mechanism for the study species.