Antioxidant enzyme activity and initial growth of wheat, rye and bean under soil flooding

Adverse environmental conditions have been negatively affecting plant growth and development. The present study aims at evaluating soil flooding effects in the initial growth and enzymatic activity of rye, wheat and bean plants. Plants were cultivated in a growth chamber and subjected to flooding. Afterwards, organ dry matter, leaf area, protein content and antioxidant enzyme activity were determined. Rye plants reduced shoot and root dry matter and increased leaf area and leaf mass ratiobetween two and three days of flooding. In wheat, root dry matter decreased from 3.5 days. In beans, root dry matter decreased and area ratio increased. Regardless of studied species, antioxidant enzyme activity measured in roots was higher in longer flooding periods. Soil flooding adversely affects initial growth and superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase enzyme activity. Enzymes are affected differently according to species and soil flooding period.