ABSTRACT Drought stress affects crop quality and productivity. The challenge of increasing food availability for a growing worldwide demand relies on the development of tolerant cultivars that will need to be adapted to arid and semi-arid areas. In order to help the understanding of rice response to stress, the phenotypic response of 6 Brazilian rice cultivars and 2 different crosses between them were characterized under drought conditions. Since gene regulation is an important part of root morphological responses to stressful conditions, 4 genes related to auxin response and root modifications (OsGNOM1 CRL4, OsIAA1, OsCAND1 and OsRAA1) were evaluated. The expression of these genes was analyzed in stressed rice using public available microarray data and then through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), in the 6 phenotypically evaluated Brazilian genotypes under standard conditions (absence of stress). Our results show that all genotypes lengthened its roots in response to drought, specially the 2 hybrids. The expression of these genes is modified in response to stress, and OsRAA1 has a very special behavior, constituting a target for future studies. Further steps include the study of polymorphisms in these genotypes in order to understand if differences in these genes or in regulatory regions can be associated with differences in root system architecture and/or stress tolerance.

A ocorrência de condições anaeróbias nos solos hidromórficos, associada com a presença de matéria orgânica favorece o desenvolvimento de microrganismos anaeróbios que produzem substâncias fitotóxicas, principalmente ácidos orgânicos de cadeia curta. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a resposta de 20 genótipos de aveia (Avena sativa L.) aos ácidos acético, propiônico e butírico. O trabalho foi executado em sistema de hidroponia com três doses (0; 3 e 6 mM) da mistura dos três ácidos na relação 6:3:1 respectivamente. O delineamento utilizado foi em blocos casualizados com três repetições em esquema fatorial. As variáveis mensuradas foram: comprimento de raízes (CR) e parte aérea (CPA), número de raízes (NR) e matéria seca de raízes (MSR) e parte aérea (MSPA). Foram procedidas análise de variância e ajustes de regressão. Os efeitos de interação entre doses x genótipos para as variáveis CR e MSR revelaram significância e as regressões estabelecidas para estas variáveis, revelaram dois genótipos com estabilidade de crescimento radicular (OR-3 e FAPA-5) e três com estabilidade de acúmulo de matéria seca (OR-3, UFRGS-17 e UPF-15) frente ao estresse por ácidos orgânicos. A caracterização destes genótipos à ação fitotóxica dos ácidos orgânicos é importante fonte de recursos aos programas de melhoramento genético que visem obter genótipos com elevada capacidade produtiva, em solos de várzea do Sul do Brasil sob plantio direto ou cultivo mínimo.

The association of anaerobic conditions with high organic matter content in hydromorphic soils favors the development of anaerobic microorganisms that produce phytotoxic substances, especially short chain organic acids. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the response of 20 oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes to the exposure of acetic, propionic and butyric acids in hydroponic system. Three doses (0; 3 and 6 mM) of a mixture of the three acids at a 6:3:1 ratio, respectively were tested. The experimental design was randomized blocks with three replications on a factorial scheme. Measured variables were root (CR) shoot (CPA) length, root number (NR), root (MSR) and shoot (MSPA) dry matter. Variance analyses and regression fitness were performed. The effects of the interaction between doses and genotypes were significant for the variables CR and MSR. The regression curves indicated two genotypes (OR-3 e FAPA-5) with stable root growth and three (OR-3, UFRGS-17 e UPF-15) with stable dry matter accumulation under organic acid stresses. The characterization of these genotypes regarding organic acid phytotoxic action is an important resource for breeding programs aiming at to develop high yielding cultivars for no-tillage or minimal tillage systems in hydromorphic soils of southern Brazil.