Changes of physiological traits on red chili pepper (Capsicum annum L.) exposed by short-term waterlogging

Abstract

Abstract Tropical riparian wetland known as non-tidal lowland is potential land for agriculture, especially for vegetable cultivation such as red chili pepper (Capsicum annum L.). Transitional period (dry to rainy season) has a chance for red chili pepper cultivation in the field (at low tide conditions), but has risk of experiencing dynamic water table to waterlogging in early rainy season. The aim of this research was to determine the effects of physiological traits of red chili pepper exposure on short-term (4 days) waterlogging. This study was done at the Tropical Crop Science Laboratory, Kagoshima University, Japan. The experiment was designed as a completely randomized factorial design. The first factor was control/field capacity and waterlogging (entire growing media was submerged). The second factor was chili variety, consisting of Laris and Romario. Treatments began 14 days after transplanting, lasted four days, then followed by seven days of recovery. The results of this study showed that there were changes in photosynthetic characters between before waterlogging, after waterlogging and after recovery time, between control and waterlogging, and also between Laris and Romario. Photosynthetic and transpiration rates decreased sharply under waterlogging in after waterlogging, but increased in after recovery period on Laris, opposite on Romario. Changes occur were associated with the decline in stomatal conductance and chlorophyll fluorescence as a response to waterlogging stress. Laris as a resistant variety has the ability to recover under short-term stress conditions, so it needs to be further developed for cultivation in tropical riparian wetlands.