Two different responses of chloroph

Two different responses of chlorophyll concentration throughout the plant cycle were analyzed. The first one, a short-term increase of greenness after water restriction, a consequence of halted leaf growth, was related to a conservative plant strategy to cope with moderate water restriction. At this moderate stress intensity, riskiest genotypes, which respond with less water-use efficiency strategies, tend to show less yield losses. The second one is related to longer development cycle genotypes which have more time for effective carbon assimilation. This response should be measured by the reduction in chlorophyll concentration rate, and as the moment (in days or thermal days) at which senescence onset occurs, visually assessed. Under water restriction, lower chlorophyll degradation rates were found in the genotypes that produced a higher final tuber biomass – Sarnav and Unica. It is necessary to perform additional experiments with a higher number of genotypes and responses to drought to confirm the validity of the observed associations of the described physiological parameters with particular strategies to cope with moderate water stress.