Heat shocks reduce chilling sensitivity of cotton, kenaf, okra, and rice seedling radicles

Abstract

Seeds of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. 'Clemson Spineless' (syn. Hibiscus esculentus L.)], rice (Oryza sativa L.), and wheat (Triticum sativum (L.) Lam.) were germinated and grown at 25 °C until their radicles reached 10 mm in length. They were then exposed to chilling temperatures for 0 to 5 days followed by 3 days at 25 °C. Radicle length was measured periodically and inhibition of elongation was used as an indicator of the severity of chilling injury. Exposure to chilling reduced radicle elongation in all species except chilling insensitive wheat. When seedlings were heat-shocked at 45 °C for 1 to 12 min before being chilled, radicles of the chilling sensitive okra, kenaf, cotton, and rice seedlings elongated more than seedlings not heat-shocked before chilling. The method of heat-shock application and the stringency (i.e., time x temperature) of the heat-shock and chilling treatments all affected the response of the tissue. In comparison to nonheat-shocked wheat seedlings, the radicles of chilling insensitive wheat seedlings did not elongate more than seedlings in which the heat shocks were applied before chilling. A brief heat shock ameliorates chilling injury in these chilling sensitive species.