Effect of Drought Stress on Some Physiological Characteristics in Six Commercial Iranian Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Cultivars

In order to the study the effect of drought stress on some physiological characteristics in six Iranian pomegranate cultivars a factorial experiment was conducted based on a complete randomized design with three replications. Two factors including pomegranate cultivars (Rabab nyriz, Nadery badroud, Shyshah cap ferdous, Ardestany mahvelat, Malase yazd and Shirin shavar yazd) and irrigation levels (60% and 40% field capacity "the moderate and severe stresses, respectively" and 80% field capacity as "the control" was used and the plants were kept for six weeks. Some physiological characteristics including photosynthesis rate, evaporation rate, stomatal conductance, Intercellular CO2 concentration, leaf temperature, relative water content and leaf ion leakage in fully developed leaves were then measured. All examined cultivars had similar responses to drought stress treatments, but the intensity of these responses was different in various cultivars. According to the ultimate results, Rabab nyriz and Malase Yazd cultivars were more tolerant to drought compared to the others tolerant cultivars.Furthermore, among the cultivars studied, 'Nadery badroud was so they have been suggested as sensitive cultivar to drought stress.