Antioxidative response to drought and high temperature stress in selected mulberry genotypes

Abstract

Nine mulberry (Morus alba L.) genotypes were studied for their responses to drought and high temperature stress in terms of antioxidant metabolite levels and activities of antioxidant enzymes. The genotype S13 has shown best response, closely followed by S1635 and V1 in maintaining high levels of chlorophyll, carotenoid, proline, phenol, glutathione and ascorbate and lower H 2O2 content. Activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase and catalase were also higher in these genotypes indicating better tolerance capacity to drought and high temperature stress compared to the other genotypes viz., TR8, TR10, S34, M5, S135 and DD.