Impact of Drought Stress on the Expression of Resistance to<i>Verticillium albo-atrum</i>in Alfalfa

Abstract

Drought stress alters plant metabolism, causing changes in growth, hormone levels, photosynthesis, and nutrient uptake. Verticillium alboatrum reduces growth and stomatal conductance in resistant alfalfa clones in the absence of abiotic stress. The additional effect of drought stress on the growth of resistant alfalfa infected with V. albo-atrum is unknown; consequently, experiments were conducted to assess the stability of resistance to V. albo-atrum in alfalfa grown under the stress of drought. Two resistant alfalfa clones were grown in the greenhouse in 0.03-m 3 cylinders that allowed the development of a gradually increasing drought stress (...)