Inter‐relationship between photosynthetic efficiency, Δ13C, antioxidant activity and sugarcane yield under drought stress in field conditions

Drought is one of the major climatic factors that reduce crop yields in cultivated areas around the world, and studies on physiological responses may help in the selection of drought tolerant genotypes. Thus, this work aimed to correlate gas exchange, photosynthetic efficiency, carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) and antioxidant activity in sugarcane varieties submitted to water stress under field conditions. Six sugarcane varieties were submitted to drought stress in three development stages: tillering, intense growth and ripening. In all varieties, the photosynthetic apparatus was severely affected by drought, with a reduction in photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content. During the tillering stage, reductions in gas exchange and increase in Δ13C and bundle sheath leakiness (φ) were observed. In the intense growth stage, water stress caused increases in leaf temperature, intrinsic water use efficiency, antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation, and reductions in stomatal conductance and transpiration in the RB72454, RB855113 and RB855536 varieties. However, the RB92579 variety maintained a better physiological homeostasis at all development stages and presented higher stalks yielding when submitted to drought. This work suggests that screen sugarcane genotype to drought stress should be performed during the intense growth stage, when plants are more sensitive to drought conditions.