To assess resistance of transgenic tobacco plants which overexpress superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in chloroplasts to water stress, changes in leaf water potential, turgor potential, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were measured. Leaf water potential in all plants remained high up to day 4 after withholding water but thereafter decreased markedly. In spite of a remarkable decrease in leaf water potential, some of transgenic plants maintained higher turgor potential compared with control plant on day 12. In particular, the transgenic plant expressing MnSOD showed an outstanding maintenance in turgor pressure by osmotic adjustment throughout the experiment, resulting in high stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. However, among transgenic plants, osmotic potential was reduced more effectively in multiple transformants such as the double transformant expressing both MnSOD and APX, and the triple transformant expressing CuznSOD, MnSOD and APX than single transformants. Consequently, further research is needed to get general agreement on the tolerance of transgenic plants to water stress at different growth stages for each transgenic plant.

The response of water stree under high and low temperatures, was shown differently according to the longer the suspension period of water supply. Leaf photosynthetic rate(LPS), leaf water potential(WP), relative leaf water content and relative soil water content were lower. At the higher temperatures, the percentate of reduction in LPS and WP was greater than at low temperatures. It is suggested that evaporation rate should be higher in the high temperature than the lower temperature. Also leaf water potential was lower at high temperature than at low temperature. After the 9 th day of treatment , LSP was remarkably reduced at high temperature, but the reduction of LPS was not significant at low temperature. Solidago virga-aurea var. asiatic that maintained LPS of 3rd day after treatment was more strong than other varieties at low temperatures. The silting and curling of leaves were observed symptoms of stress on the 9th day at the both temperatures. The leaves of aster scaber and Ligularia fischeri turned red on the 9th day after treatment at low temperature.

Development of shoot and root, leaf water potential and photosynthetic rate affected by water stress in early growing stage of tobacco were surveyed to interpret stress response in terms of plant physiological and agricultural aspects. The growth of shoot and root was highly suppressed by water stress and the difference in dry weight by rewatering was smaller in root than in shoot. The total root length was highly decreased by water stress and the lengths of root for water stress and non-stress were 74m and 84m, respectively, after rewatering. The root growth treated by water stress was increased between 2nd and 3rd day after treatment indicating that temporary water stress at early growing stage might have increased of root zone activity for early growth stage. The leaf water potentials were decreased to -7.63MPa, -9.47MPa, -11.89MPa, -13MPa at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th day by water stress. The relative water contents were 75%, 62% and 57% at the 3rd, 4th and 5th day after treatment. Photosynthesis was reduced largely by water stress. The photosynthetic rate after treatment at 2nd day and 3rd day was dropped to 18.15~mu mol. CO2 /m2 ㆍsec-1 and 9.35~mu mol. CO2 /m2 ㆍsec-1 . It was never recovered to the normal, even after rewatering. Stomatal conductance had been reduced since 2nd day after treatment and increased after rewatering.