Changes in chlorophyll content of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.) over organogenetic stages

Abstract

Purpose. To determine the peculiarities of the chlorophylls a and b biosynthesis in the leaves of lavender over the stages of organogenesis under the conditions of the Right Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. The subject of the study was eight varieties of lavender of Ukrainian and foreign breeding: ‘Feuervogel’, ‘Livadia’, ‘Orion’, ‘Vostok’, ‘König Humberg’, ‘Maestro’, ‘Veseli Notky’ and ‘Richard Walls’ from the collection of ornamental and medical plants of the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Samples of vegetative material were taken at experimental stock sites during a period 2015 to 2017 at the following stages of organogenesis: the beginning of vegetation, the complete formation of leaves, the formation of buds, the beginning of flowering and full flowering. The content of chlorophyll in the leaves was determined by the Godnev’s method modified by Osipova (1947). Results. A positive dynamics of chlorophyll types a and b accumulation in the leaves of lavender plants over the stages of organogenesis under the conditions of the Kyiv region was found. At the flowering stage, the total content of these pigments in the leaves of varieties under investigation reached a maximum and ranged from 1.8 to 2.0 g/dm2, which was 18.8 to 25.0% higher than the values of the previous stage of development. Variety-specific relations in biosynthesis in chlorophyll a and b was revealed. The highest chlorophyll a content at the flowering stage was recorded in ‘Vostok’ and ‘Maestro’ varieties (1.64 g/dm2), while chlorophyll b in ‘Orion’ (0.64 g/dm2) and ‘König Humberg’ (0.52 g/dm2). Conclusions. The peculiarities of the changes in the chlorophyll content of lavender plants over the stages of organogenesis are determined, that allows evaluating the effect of growing conditions on the state of plantations of various lavender varieties and can be used to optimize the techno­logy of lavender cultivation.