Screening Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria Scop.) on Osmotic Stress using Polyethylene Glycol 6000 in vitro

Background: Droughts during the growing season are becoming increasingly common due to climate change and global warming. The study’s goal study was to assess the adaptation mechanisms of C. coggygria Scop. under simulated water deficit conditions using indicators characterized changes in the leaf stomatal apparatus and photosynthesizing system. Methods: The influence of osmotic polyethylene glycol 6000 on the research object C. coggygria regenerants was studied in vitro. Such indicators as morphological changes, pigment content, stomatal density and size and stomatal slit size were quantified. Result: Due to the influence of osmotic stress, there was a pigment content increase in the leaf plate on osmotic media. Stomatal density raised by 27.0-29.8% in explant cells cultivated on PEG 4.0-6.0%. Under the osmotic influence, there was a drop in the stomatal cells’ area and shape and the ratio of stomatal length to width in the regenerant leaves decreased from 1.5 to 1.0-1.1. These results indicate the adaptation of C. coggygria regenerants to stress caused by an artificial drought in vitro. The changes’ identification in the stomatal apparatus and the C. coggygria pigment ratio will accelerate the selective screening of drought-resistant plants for use in protective forestry.Background: Droughts during the growing season are becoming increasingly common due to climate change and global warming. The study’s goal study was to assess the adaptation mechanisms of C. coggygria Scop. under simulated water deficit conditions using indicators characterized changes in the leaf stomatal apparatus and photosynthesizing system.