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Plant Gene and Trait, 2013, Vol.4, No.4, 17
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17
Research Report Open Access
Impact of Water Deficit on Photosynthetic Pigments and Yield of Banana
Cultivars and Hybrids
K. Krishna Surendar
1
, D. Durga Devi
1
,
I. Ravi
2
,
S.Krishnakumar
3
, S. Ramesh Kumar
3
, K.
Velayudham
4
1.Department of Crop Physiology, TNAU, Coimbatore-641 003, India; 2.National Research Centre for Banana (ICAR), Thiruchirapalli, India; 3.Department of
Horticulture, VIA, Pollachi-642 103, India; 4.Directorate of CSCMS, TNAU, Coimbatore-641 003,India
Corresponding author email:
surendartnau@gmail.com;
Authors
Plant Gene and Trait, 2013, Vol.4, No.4 doi: 10.5376/pgt.2013.04.0004
Received: 21 Mar., 2013
Accepted: 11 Apr., 2013
Published: 24 May, 2013
This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction
in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article:
Surendar et al., 2013, Impact of Water Deficit on Photosynthetic Pigments and Yield of Banana Cultivars and Hybrids, Plant Gene and Trait, Vol.4, No.4 17-24
(doi: 10.5376/pgt.2013.04.0004)
Abstract
A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of water deficit on total chlorophyll content, soluble protein
content and yield of banana cultivars and hybrids. Stress was imposed at different critical stages viz., 3
rd
, 5
th
, 7
th
and 9
th
month after
planting. The stress was given by scheduling irrigation at the 50 per cent available soil moisture (ASM) characteristic during critical
stages. The soil moisture content was analyzed by using pressure plate membrane apparatus. In control plots, the irrigation was given
at the ASM of 80 per cent with the soil water potential of around -6 bars and in the case of stressed plots; the irrigation was given
when an ASM reached 50 per cent with the soil water potential of -14 bars. The total chlorophyll content, soluble protein content and
yield were decreased during water deficit conditions. Among the twelve cultivars and hybrids, Karpuravalli, Karpuravalli × Pisang
Jajee, Saba, and Sannachenkathali was identified as tolerant to water deficit with least reduction in total chlorophyll content, soluble
protein content and yield in the range of 8, 9 and 11 per cent over control.; whereas, Matti, Pisang Jajee × Matti, Matti × Anaikomban
and Anaikomban × Pisang Jajee were notified as sensitive cultivars and hybrids with highest reduction per cent of 22, 26 and 19 total
chlorophyll content, soluble protein content and yield than control which is leads to get very low yield.
Keywords
Banana; Water deficit; Total chlorophyll; Soluble protein and yield
1 Introduction
Banana is the ‘queen of tropical fruits’ and is one of
the oldest fruits known to mankind from pre-historic
times. Today, it is the leading tropical fruit in the
world market with a highly organized and developed
industry. It is the fourth largest fruit crop in the world
after grapes, citrus fruits and apples. Drought is an
insidious hazard of nature. Although it has scores of
definitions, it originates from a deficiency of precipi-
tation over an extended period of time, usually a
season or more. This deficiency results in a water
shortage for some activity, group, or environmental
sector. Banana plant productivity is greatly affected by
environmental stresses such as drought, water and
cold. Plants respond and adopt to these stresses to
survive under stress condition at the molecular and
cellular levels as well as at the physiological and
biochemical levels. Physiological responses to soil
water deficit are the feature that is most likely to
determine the response of the crop to irrigation. The
banana plants are sensitivity to soil moisture stress is
reflected in changes in reduced growth through reduced
stomatal conductance and leaf size leads to reduction
in photosynthetic pigments (Kallarackal et al., 1990)
with increased leaf senescence (Turner, 1998). Bananas
(
Musa
spp.) rarely attain their full genetic potential for
yield due to limitations imposed by water ultimately
limiting the plants photosynthesis. Turner and Thomas
(1998) reported that, the banana is sensitive to soil
water deficits, expanding tissues such as emerging