Photochemistry of Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem under fungal biocontrol interaction

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the photochemistry of Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem in fungal biocontrol interacting treatments. Healthy plants were infected with Pythium aphanidermatum before the biocontrol application. Biocontrol agents were selected in preliminary Petri-plate experiment evaluation against causative agent P. aphanidermatum. Photosynthetic performance traits were studied. We found that P. aphanidermatum infection caused significant reduction in photosynthetic performance, pigments, and in maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry, photochemical quenching, and electron transport rate with increase in nonphotochemical quenching as compared with non-infected control. However, application of biocontrol agents substantially improved maximum quantum yield of PSII, performance index, and total content of photosynthetic pigments in infected plants. The fluorescence intensity was used for quantifying the antagonist effect of biocontrol agents on infected plant leaves.