LEGADO DA SECA NA SOJA: QUAL O ALCANCE DA MEMÓRIA INTERGERACIONAL NA TOLERÂNCIA AO DÉFICIT HÍDRICO?

Abstract

Drought is one of the main challenges faced by modern agriculture, significantly impacting crop productivity. This study investigated the ability of soybean (Glycine max) to develop stress memory over multiple generations by assessing physiological, biochemical, and anatomical responses in plants subjected to different water deficit regimes. The experiment was conducted over three generations (Parental, F1, and F2) to evaluate the persistence and intergenerational impacts of this memory. The results demonstrated that repeated exposure to drought influenced parameters such as water potential, stomatal conductance, and gas exchange, revealing adaptations that contributed to greater water use efficiency. However, in some cases, repeated stress resulted in maladaptive responses, making plants more vulnerable in subsequent generations. Additionally, it was observed that the intensity and timing of the water deficit were crucial for the maintenance or loss of stress memory, suggesting that adaptation to water stress can be both beneficial and detrimental, depending on the plant’s environmental history. These findings highlight the importance of agricultural management strategies that consider intergenerational drought memory, as well as the development of more resilient cultivars to cope with climate change. Understanding how drought memory influences plant responses can be a key step in mitigating the impacts of water stress on agricultural production