In controlled laboratory conditions, we investigated the impact of short-time (2 h) high-temperature stress (+40 °C), low positive temperature stress (+4 °C), and moderate soil drought (4 days without watering) on the pigment complex of 14- and 18-day-old winter wheat plants cv. Podolyanka, spelt wheat cv. Frankenkorn variety, and winter rye cv. Bohuslavka. Short-term high-temperature stress resulted in a reduction in chlorophyll content in all studied species, with the most significant changes observed in rye leaves. The chlorophyll a/b ratio and the sum of chlorophylls (a+b) to carotenoids increased in spelt wheat and rye leaves but remained unchanged in wheat. Wheat exhibited the highest resistance to elevated temperatures. Under cold stress, the content of chlorophyll b and total carotenoids in rye leaves notably decreased. In wheat leaves, the ratio of the sum of chlorophylls (a+b) to carotenoids significantly increased. Rye’s pigment complex demonstrated the greatest sensitivity to low positive temperatures, while spelt wheat’s complex exhibited the highest resilience. Upon moderate soil drought, the content of chlorophylls and total carotenoids, along with the (a+b)/carotenoids ratio, decreased in the leaves of 18-day-old spelt wheat and rye plants. Wheat’s pigment complex showed the most robust response to moderate soil drought. Overall, our findings suggest that adaptive adjustments in the pigment complex of cultivated cereal plants contribute to their reaction-response to temperature stress and moderate soil drought.
Keywords: wheat, spelt, rye, photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll, carotenoids, temperature stress, drought
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