**Consequences of Water Deficit on Metabolism of Legumes**

Allan Klynger da Silva Lobato, Gélia Dinah Monteiro Viana, Gleberson Guillen Piccinin, Milton Hélio Lima da Silva, Gabriel Mascarenhas Maciel and Douglas José Marques

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/62346

#### **Abstract**

The aim of this chapter is (i) to define water deficit and its consequences on growth and development of higher plants; (ii) to present the interferences induced on metabolism, in‐ cluding gas exchange, biochemical compounds, and osmotic substances; and (iii) to ex‐ plain how these alterations will affect the growth, development, and production of leguminous plants. This chapter reports that the performance in leguminous is affected by water deficiency, which can cause lower growth and development. For gas exchange, leaf relative water content, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate suffered de‐ crease when cultivated under water deficit. Biochemical compounds, such as soluble ami‐ no acids, soluble proteins, proline, and abscisic acid (ABA), are intensively modified after a period under water restriction. The results prove that ABA mediates actively and signif‐ icantly the proline accumulation and consequent osmotic adjustment in *Vigna unguiculata* leaves that were induced to water deficit and rehydration.

**Keywords:** Abiotic stress, leguminous crops, gas exchange, osmotic adjustment, water deficiency
