Effect of Exogenous α-Tocopherol on Sweet Pepper Plants Irrigated by Diluted Sea Water

Abstract

Capsicum annum is one of the most cultivated summer crops in Egypt which is consider the most susceptible crop to harsh a biotic stresses as Salinity condition. Pots experiment was carried out at Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Egypt during two successive summer seasons of 2014 and 2015 to study the responsive of Sweet pepper (cv. California wonder) plants irrigated by diluted sea water (EC= 8.0 dSm-1) to foliar applications of 1 mM alpha-Tocopherol (α TOC). Four treatments were arranged in a randomized block design:1) plants irrigated by sea water (SW) and sprayed by tap water (TW), 2) TW for irrigation and α TOC for foliar spray, 3) SW for irrigation and α TOC for foliar spray and 4) the control (TW for irrigation and foliar spray). Pepper plants irrigated by sea water recognized significant reductions in growth parameters (leave number, leaf area, plant dry weight, Fruit number and Fruit yield). Results also showed that, foliar application of pepper plant with αTOC caused a notable upgrading in growth and yield under saline conditions. The maximum increased growth was obtained when plants irrigated by TW and sprayed by 1 mM αTOC. The foliar application of αTOC considerably boosted the activities of Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and Glutathione reductase (GR) of pepper plants contrasted to control treatment. The outcome of present experiment could be recommended for both new reclaimed lands suffering from salt water and regions exposure to salinity hazard in irrigated water.