Evaluation of the tolerance of Sesamum indicum L. samples to water stress under controlled experimental conditions

Abstract

Water stress is one of the major abiotic factors limiting the growth and productivity of agricultural crops, including Sesamum indicum L. The aim of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of sesame samples to water stress under controlled experimental conditions at early stages of development. The study included 15 samples obtained through X-ray induced mutagenesis from the genotypes Zaltsadovski, Kadet and Adaptovanîi 2, as well as the initial genotypes used as controls. Water stress was artificially simulated using a 15% PEG 6000 solution. Tolerance was assessed based on seed germination and seedling morphometric parameters. The results revealed significant differences among genotypes and irradiation treatments, with the most tolerant samples identified in the variants Zaltsadovski – 200 Gy, Kadet – 50 Gy and Adaptovanîi 2 – 200 Gy. The results confirm the usefulness of induced mutagenesis for identifying sesame forms with increased tolerance to water deficit.