1Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, University of North Bengal, Siliguri - 734 430.
2Immuno-Phytopathology Laboratory, University of North Bengal, Siliguri - 734 430.
3Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri - 734 430.
Water stress was imposed on one-and-a-half year old plants of six varieties of tea (Camellia sinensis) viz. TV-22, TV-23, TV-25, TV-26, TV-27 and T-17, by whithholding irrigation for 7 and 14 days. Levels of phenolics and related enzymes, free proline and protein content were determined. Ofthe six varieties, TV-25, TV-26, TV-27 and T-17 could with stand only 7 days stress while TV-22 and TV-23 could withstand drought upto fourteen days. These four varieties started wilting after 7 days and had completely wilted by the 10th day. TV-22 and TV-23 survived upto 14 days after which they too wilted. Both total phenol and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity increased moderately in those 4 varieties following 7 days stress, while longer period of drought resulted iii a sharp decrease of both phenolics and PAL activity. Peroxidase activity increased following drought while polyphenol oxidase activity reigistered a marked decline. Free proline content increased significantly in all tested varieties after both 7 days and 14 daysstress. Protein content was not significantly affected in all varieties after 7 days of drought while after 14 days there was a siginificant decrease in protein content.
Drought, PAL, peroxidase, phenol, polyphenol oxidase
