Study of root anatomical modifications among susceptible and drought tolerantgarlic (Allium sativum L.) genotypes by FESEM-EDS

An experiment was conducted to demonstrate the root anatomy under control and drought stress in order to investigate the dynamics of drought among genotypes of garlic (susceptible and resistant genotypes). The resistant genotype of garlic had a more pronounced root epidermal layer arrangement without root collapse than the susceptible genotype. The distribution and content of elements were revealed by the Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) spectra of the FESEM. The FESEM-EDS mapping spectra of the resistant genotype micrographs revealed that Cu, Mn, and Zn elements accumulated least during drought stress, while, Cl, Na, Si, Mo, and Ni elements accumulated most. Notably Zn and Co accumulation was observed in the tolerant line that was acquired under drought stress. In contrast, vulnerable genotypes tend to accumulate more Cl and Na than tolerant genotypes do. These results may contribute to a better understanding, characterization, and identification of genotypes resistant to drought stress through FESEM-EDS studies.