Three cycles of water deficit from seed to young plants of Moringa oleifera woody species improves stress tolerance

The main objective of this study was to assess whether recurring water stress occurring from seed germination to young plants of Moringa oleifera Lam. are able to mitigate the drought stress effects. Germination, gas exchange and biochemical parameters were analysed after three cycles of water deficit. Young plants were used 50 days after germination under three osmotic potentials (0.0, −0.3 and −0.4 MPa). For each germination treatment, control (irrigated) and stressed (10% of water control) plants were compared for a total of six treatments. There were two cycles of drought interspersed with 10 days of rehydration. The young plants of M. oleifera showed increased tolerance to repeated cycles of drought, maintaining high relative water content (RWC), high water use efficiency (WUE), increased photosynthetic pigments and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes. There was rapid recovery of the photosynthetic rate during the rehydration period. The stressed plants from the −0.3 and −0.4 MPa treatments showed higher tolerance compared to the control plants. The results suggest that seeds of M. oleifera subjected to mild water deficit have had increased the ability for drought tolerance when young plant.

► Decreasing the osmotic potential interfered with germination in Moringa oleifera.
► Three cycles of water deficit from seed germination until young plants.
► Recurring drought cycle changed gas exchange and activity of antioxidant enzymes.
► Enhanced tolerance of M. oleifera after repeated cycles of drought.