ANTIOXIDANT METABOLISM IN WATER STRESSED PEANUT TREATED WITH DINICONAZOLE

Abstrak

The response of alpha-tocopherol, glutathione and ascorbate was studied in peanut (Arachis hypogea L., cv. NC-17)  subjected  to water  stress  and  treated with  a  triazole  fungicide,  diniconazole  (DINI).  There was  no significant  difference  in  alpha-tocopherol  levels  between  control  and DINI  treated  plants. However,  a  14% increase was observed in alpha-tocopherol level in DINI treated, water stressed plants compared to water stressed plants. Total glutathione  in DINI  treated  stressed plants  increased by 13  and  31% over  control and water stressed plants, respectively. Ascorbate levels decreased significantly in all treatments compared to the control. These results indicate that DINI alleviates the oxidative damage caused by water stress by increasing total glutathione levels. However, DINI does not seem to affect alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate levels in peanuts under water stress.