Four experiments were performed in growth chamber and greenhouse at Campinas, in 1982, to study the relations of dry bean cultivars submmited to period of water and temperatura stress. Adaptation of planta to stress conditions was measured through prolina accumulation and water potential (psip) in leaves. In all tested cultivars prolina content showed a straight negative correlation with water potential in leaves. Cultivars P-511 and Curitibano showed lower prolina content and higher water potential than the other under study, this confirming the hypothesis that it is possible to identify materiais genetically resistant to water stress by selection of plants or lines with low prolina content.
temperature; water and humidity; prolina; water potential