Response of ethylene and chlorophyll in two eucalyptus clones during drought

A study was conducted with seven-month-old plantlets, of the clone 2814 of Eucalyptus grandis × E. camaldulensis Dehnh. hybrid and of the clone 2798 of E. grandis × E. robusta Sm., subjected to sublethal water stress. During the imposed drought, leaf water potentials and transpiration rates decreased, while ethylene production and leaf chlorophyll concentration increased to a maximum during the onset of water stress, and then declined. Stomatal closure coincided with or preceded maximum ethylene production. A saturation type relationship between ethylene production and chlorophyll concentration was observed. Genotypic differences in the response to water stress occurred between clones with clone 2814 appearing to be a drought avoider and clone 2798 a drought tolerator.