The Effect of the Interaction between Genotypes and Drought Stress on the Superoxide Dismutase and Chlorophyll Content in Durum Wheat Landraces

Free radicals and other active derivatives of oxygen inactivate enzymes and important plant cellular components. Superoxide dismutases (SODs) have been identified as essential components in an organism´s defence mechanism. This study was devoted to the investigation of SOD activity in 13 durum wheat landraces from Iran and Azerbaijan under 2 (drought and normal) conditions. The effect of drought stress on SOD, chlorophyll content index (CCI), and chlorophyll degradation were studied. Significant differences between genotypes and the genotype × environment interaction among SOD and CCI content were identified. The mean comparison showed that the contents of SOD and CCI decreased in susceptible landraces, whereas in resistant and moderately resistant landraces SOD and CCI remained unchanged or increased. The stress tolerance index (STI) for SOD and CCI classified resistant and susceptible landraces into distinct groups. Therefore, these 2 characters can be used as an indirect selection criterion for screening drought-resistant plant materials.