Drought stress impact on some biochemical and physiological traits of 4 groundcovers (Lolium perenne, Potentilla spp, Trifolium repens and Frankinia spp) with potential landscape usage

Stress management is considered as an important factor in nowadays landscape. Therefore this research was conducted using a factorial experiment based on a randomized completely design with regulated deficit irrigation at four levels (100, 75, 50, and 25% of lawn irrigation requirement) and three replicates to evaluate some biochemical and physiological traits on four groundcover plants (Lolium perenne, Potentilla spp., Trifolium repens and Frankinia spp.) with the potential use in landscape. Results showed that Frankinia spp. and 75% lawn irrigation requirement bears the highest proline content with same amount (0.84 mg/g fresh weight) and on the other hand highest (32.61 mg/g fresh weight) and lowest (15.95 mg/g fresh weight) chlorophyll content was shown in control (irrigation treatments) and Frankinia spp., respectively. For total soluble carbohydrates content, highest amount (1.54 mg/g fresh weight) belongs to Lolium perenne whereas the lowest (0.79 mg/g fresh weight) belongs to Trifolium repens. Trifolium repens also had the most DPPH free radical-scavenging assay (75.05%) among species. In general, regulated deficit irrigation affects different biochemical characteristics of examined groundcover plants significantly, but as a managing method applying it to below the damaging point for landscape plants can be a good method for water consumption management in this manner.