Effect of exogenous amino acids on osmolytes accumulation in winter rapeseed during autumn period

Abstract

Freezing temperatures is the main environmental factor limiting the productivity of many agricultural plants. During the evolution process, most plants have been acquired mechanisms by which they can increase their freezing tolerance during cold acclimation. During period of low non-freezing temperatures in the plants occur changes at physiological, biochemical and molecular levels. During cold acclimation in leaf cells of the plants increased the content of most solutes and according several research reports at last some of these solutes may be important for the increasing of plant cold tolerance. Accumulation of soluble carbohydrates during cold acclimation is very well documented. Researchers supposed that they play an important role in the development of plant cold tolerance. On the other hand, several research groups reported that there are positive correlation between cold tolerance and endogenous proline content in the plant tissues. The experiments were carried out in 2014–2016 at the Experimental Station of Aleksandras Stulginskis University with winter rapeseed cultivar ‘Cult’.The effect of environmental temperature during autumn period and exogenous applied amino acids (L-proline and L-glutamic acid) on osmolytes (soluble sugars and endogenous proline) content in winter rapeseed plants during cold acclimation has been investigated. The analysis of variance revealed that environmental temperature, tested exogenous amino acids and their interaction significantly influenced osmolytes accumulation in winter rapeseed plants during autumn period.