Variability of malondialdehyde content and yield elements in Triticum aestivum L. under heat stress conditions

Abstract

Heat stress has a significant effect on the growth and development of cereals and affects cereals production by reducing the total yield. High temperatures in plants lead to oxidative stress, which creates reactive oxygen species that are specific to cause damage to the cell membrane. Due to the action of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation can occur. For that reason, it is important to find cultivars that are more resistant to the harmful effects of heat stress and thus enable higher productivity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of heat stress on the degree of lipid peroxidation and yield elements in leaves of 10 wheat cultivars, in order to select cultivars more resistant to heat stress. The degree of lipid peroxidation was determined spectrophotometrically by measuring the concentration of reactive substances of thiobarbiturate acid (mainly malondialdehyde - MDA). The cultivar Renesansa with the largest increase in MDA in conditions of high air temperature (2.848 µmol/g fw) was also characterized by the lowest yield (2870 kg/ha). On the other hand, the cultivar Talas with the smallest increase in MDA content (1800 µmol/g fw) in conditions of high air temperature showed significantly higher yield (3830 kg/ha). In this paper was shown that lipid peroxidation has a significant effect on yield reduction in the investigated wheat cultivars. Cultivars Talas, Apač, Hyfi, Mila and Salasar were characterized as cultivars more resistant to heat stress with higher yields. These results suggest that wheat cultivars were significantly different in their ability to respond to heat stress, which could be useful for the development of tolerant wheat cultivars in the breeding programs.