Oxidative damage and antioxidant defense system in leaves of Vicia faba major L. cv. Bartom during soil flooding and subsequent drainage

The adaptive reactions of Vicia faba major L. cv. Bartom to 13-27 days soil flooding and to 14 days of drainage following 13-days of soil flooding were studied. Under flooding, oxygen diffusion rate (ODR) in the root zone decreased from 2.28–3.44 to 0.09–0.28 µmol O2 m−2 s−1; the soil redox potential (Eh) decreased from 543 to 70 mV.

Upon drainage of flooded soil the ODR and Eh values returned to the control levels. Oxidative damage and defense systems in leaves were assessed by the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) and by the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR).

Two stages of stress development are described. During the first stage (1–13 days) shoot dry mass did not decrease, the TBARs concentration and SOD activity increased, the GR activity decreased. The second stage (13–27 days) was characterized by a decrease in the TBARs concentration, SOD and GR activities, pigment concentrations and shoot dry mass.

Drainage of flooded soil resulted in elevated concentrations of TBARs and also increased the activities of SOD and GR. Increased SOD activity in the first stage of hypoxic stress development and activations of SOD and GR at oxygen re-entry to soil are responsible for tolerance of Vicia faba to hypoxic and post hypoxic stress associated with soil flooding and subsequent drainage.