Relationship between leaf water status and varietal adaptation of

Abstract

Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted to examine differences in leaf water status between bean cultivars from low and high rainfall areas of Kenya, and hence investigate the relationship between this parameter and drought adaptation. Ten à ‚ arieties, five from low and five from high rainfall zones, were subjected to two watering levels," low" and high". Water potential, solute potential, and relative water content were measured. On average, varieties from low rainfall areas had lower total leaf water and solute potentials. This was seen under both high and low watering levels in the glasshouse and in the field. Conversely, RWC was higher in cultivars from low rainfall areas. The results show that osmotic adjustment is associated with drought adaptation in beans.