Abstract
The influence of application of 24-epibrassinolide (24-EPI) was studied in young plants of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) variety Piešťanský grown in the greenhouse under optimum and water deficit conditions. Plants were sprayed in the developmental stage V3-V4 with aqueous solutions of 24-EPI (concentrations 10-6, 10-8, 10-10 and 10-12 M) and were then immediately exposed to 10-day drought stress.
The differences between drought-stressed and well-watered plants, brassinosteroid-treated and -nontreated plants were analyzed. According to the obtained results, it seems that in young faba bean plants treated with lower concentrations (10-10 and 10-12 M) of 24-EPI, drought had less negative impact on the monitored parameters compared to plants normaly watered - growth rate did not change, differences in photosynthetic parameters were smaller.
However, the observed differences between 24-EPI-treated and non-treated plants were usually not statistically significant.