EFFECTS OF WATER DEFICIT ON THE GROWTH AND CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT OF Capsicum Frutescens

Abstract

Water stress can have major impacts on plant growth through the unbalanced formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). High production of ROS during water stress can reduce crop yield, thus affecting productivity. Thus, this study determines the effect of water deficit on growth and chlorophyll content of Capsicum frutescens. The Capsicum frutescens were treated with 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mL of water for 20 days. The growth and chlorophyll content were measured at 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 days of treatment periods. Water stress did not significantly affect the plant height and stem diameter of the C. frutescens subjected to different volumes of water. The total number of leaves, leaf area, as well as fresh and dry weights were unaffected at early stages. However, all parameters increased significantly at the end of the treatment, especially in plants treated with 80 and 100 mL of water. The chlorophyll content was unchanged at earlier stages of the experiment. However, the chlorophyll content reduced drastically at later stages of the experiment period. The results reveal that different volumes of water did not significantly affect the growth of C. frutescens. In contrast, the chlorophyll content of C. frutescens was significantly decreased by water stress.