Polyamine alterations of triticale in response to herbicide, drought and waterlogging treatments

Drought and waterlogging are environmental stress factors that havoc normal plant growth and development. Polyamines are plant growth regulators, which participate in plant growth and development, as well as in the physiological responses to stress conditions. The polyamines fractions were evaluated in triticale plants pretreated with the selective herbicide Serrate (R), and exposed to drought or waterlogging for 7 days. The herbicide applied alone provoked a slight decrease in polyamine content. A decrease of polyamine content was found also after drought, while waterlogging provoked an increase in polyamine levels. These data correlate with plant fitness and phenotype characteristics of treated seedlings. Our data provide new information about the role of plant polyamines in the physiological responses of triticale plants to water stress after herbicide application.