Effects of freeze and cold stress on certain physiological and biochemical traits in sensitive and tolerant barley (Hordeum vulgare) genotypes

An experiment was performed as a split-plot design based on a randomized complete block (RCB) with three replicates. The aim was to explore physiological traits, catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activity associated with cold and freeze stress in four barley genotypes (two stress-tolerant genotypes and two sensitive genotypes). The genotypes were regarded as sub-plots and five temperature levels (namely 20, 4, 0, −4, −8°C) as main plots. The results revealed that the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased through freeze and cold stress from 20 to 4°C. This increase was more in the sensitive genotypes than in the tolerant ones. Subsequent to the increase in lipid peroxidation, the membrane stability index (MSI) decreased, thereby increasing the electrolyte leakage. The sensitive genotypes demonstrated greater reduction in the studied parameters. Upon the increase in the H2O2 content, the antioxidant enzymes CAT and POD also increased in order to collect and prevent H2O2 from damaging the cell and the plant. Compared with the sensitive ones, the tolerant genotypes indicated more increase in the enzymes. The H2O2 and MDA content decreased from −4 to −8°C, which could be due to intracellular freezing in the sensitive genotypes, but due to the detoxifying of the antioxidant enzymes in the tolerant genotypes. Compared with the POD content, the increase in the CAT content through cold stress was more, which could mean that it was possibly CAT which acted as the main inhibitor of H2O2 in cold stress in the barley plant.