Abstract: Waterlogging is one of the main limiting factors in worldwide peanut production. It is useful to develop a prompt approach for waterlogging tolerance screening at early growth stages. To study difference of waterlogging tolerance among peanut varieties and in the early growth stages and the correlation with waterlogging tolerance based on yield in the field, seeds of 8 varieties were planted in shallow and deep water for 180 h, seedlings were waterlogged with sand soil in laboratory for 10 days and in field for 10 d (short-term) and 88 d (long-term), then the germination ratio, seedlings growth and development indexes, alcohol dehydrogenase activity (ADH), field yields under waterlogging (WY10, WY88) and waterlogging tolerance coefficients(WTC10, WTC88）were measured. The results were as follows: (1) Peanut was sensitive to waterlogging, and the tolerance varied with waterlogging degree, varieties and imposing time. Seeds of each variety germinated in shallow water, while not in deep water. At seedling stage, roots were more severely reduced by waterlogging stress than above-ground parts of plant (AGPP), difference of waterlogging tolerance among varieties could be judged phenotypically by color and weight of roots. (2) Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity in peanut roots increased significantly under waterlogging condition (hypoxia induction). The plants of varieties with higher ADH activity after 10 d waterlogging were generally runt. (3) All waterlogging tolerance indexes based on yield were correlated with ADH activity and roots color negatively, and with weight of roots positively per plant, weights of AGPP and total plant positively, especially weight of roots were significantly and positively correlated with WY10. (4) The time for peanut waterlogging tolerance screening in shallow and deep water should be 180 and 120 h respectively at germinating stage, and 3–10 d at seedling stage. It can be concluded that indoor identification of waterlogging tolerance in laboratory at early stages is an important reference for on-farm test.

Key words: Peanut, Waterlogging tolerance, Identification, Growth and development, Yield, Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)