EFFECT OF WATERLOGGING AND SEEDLING AGE ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC CHARACTERS OF EGGPLANT

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur during the period of May to June 2011. Effect of waterlogging and seedling age on morphological and photosynthetic characters of eggplant was studied. Waterlogging was imposed for 144 hours on 30 and 40 days old seedlings with the water level 8 cm above the soil surface. Morphological and photosynthetic characters were affected drastically after 48 hours and 72 hours of waterlogging in 30 and 40 days old seedlings respectively and photosynthetic characters, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate and transpiration rate were decreased with reduction of stomatal conductance of CO 2 . Conversely sub-stomatal CO restricted assimilation of CO 2 photosystem II 2 concentration increased for in the leaves in both cases. The quantum efficiency of v /F m

compared to that of seedlings grown under normal soil moisture condition as control and the ratio were rapidly decreased after 48 hours of waterlogging irrespective of seedlings age. Waterlogging effects became stronger with increasing the durations of waterlogging and differ with the age of the plant.