Effects of drought stress on growth, photosynthesis and alkaloid accumulation of lycoris aurea

The effects of drought stress on morphological and photosynthetic characteristics, as well as alkaloid contents were analyzed using potted soil water stress test, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the artificial cultivation of Lycoris aurea (L. aurea). We found that with the increase of drought stress, the plant growth was restrained and that the increase in fresh weight of the bulb, chlorophyll content and maximum net photosynthetic rate of leaves were decreased. However, the contents of two alkaloids, galanthamine and lycorine in the bulb were increased due to drought stress. Mild water stress caused a maximum increase in contents of both galanthamine and lycorine. These results suggest that for artificial cultivation of L. aurea, plants should be irrigated with adequate water during their vegetative growth period to promote their vegetative growth while at the later growth stages plants should be irrigated with mild water deficit to increase their alkaloid contents. (author)