Analysis of water stress characteristics in phaseolus vulgaris

Climatic extremes events triggered by global warming are having negative impacts on agricultural systems and economies of countries that are highly susceptible to drought. Some plant species are capable of developing responses to drought through stress tolerance or stress avoidance. The short life cycle and high nutritional value of the common bean Phaseolus vulgaris made it an ideal candidate to study the effects water stress. We tested three field capacity (FC) conditions for up to five weeks: 100% FC, 60% FC (moderate water stress), and 40% FC (severe water stress). Plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, biomass, and relative water content all showed a statistically significant decrease under water stress compared to control plants. Proline content accumulation and root length both increased significantly under water stress compared to control conditions. The highest accumulation of proline was observed under severe water stress (40% FC), demonstrating the tolerance level and capacity of Phaseolus vulgaris to survive short periods of drought.