EFFECTS OF DROUGHT STRESS ON THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS OF WILD APRICOT

The effects of drought stress on the photosynthetic characteristics of Prunus armeniaca L. var. ansu were investigated. When the seedlings were at 50 days old, different levels of water treatment were applied: control (soil water content about 70% of soil water field capacity), light drought stress (soil water content about 60% of soil water field capacity), moderate drought stress (soil water content about 50% of soil water field capacity) and heavy drought stress (soil water content about 40% of soil water field capacity). Measurements were made of net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs) and relative water content of leaf (LRWC). Pn, Tr and Gs decreased when the soil water moisture decreased. There were significant correlations across the four treatments between Pn and Gs and between Pn and LRWC.