Effect of aluminium toxicity on concentration of photosynthetic pigments in two potato cultivars with different aluminium sensitivity

Beside the root growth inhibition aluminium (Al) toxicity can cause reduction of the photosynthetic pigments in leaves.
The aim of this research was to determine the short term effect of Al toxicity on chlorophyll a (chl a), chlorophyll b (chl b), and carotenoids concentrations, and the chlorophyll content index (CCI) in leaves of Al-sensitive (‘Canberra’) and Al-tolerant (‘Tresor’) potato cultivars.
Concentration of pigments (chl a, chl b, and carotenoids) were measured spectrophotometrically, while CCI was measured by CCM-200 (Opti-Sciences Inc., Hudson, USA), in leaves of ‘Canberra’ and ‘Tresor’ plantlets grown for ten days in control (0 µmol Al L^-1) and in Al treatment (50 µmol Al L^-1) solutions.
Al treatment caused significant increase of CCI (34.57%), chl a (21.23%), chl b (34.45%), and chl a+b (23.96%) in ‘Tresor’, while there were no difference concentration of these pigments between Al treatment and control solutions grown ‘Canberra’. Al treatment caused increase of carotenoids in both potato cultivars (on average by 12.4%) while the chl a: chl b ratio was not affected by the Al treatment.
Positive correlation was found between CCI values and chl a (r²=0.50), chl b (r²=0.52), and chl a+b (r²=0.52) concentrations.
Results of this study suggest that short exposure and/or small concentrations of Al are harmless to the photosynthetic pigments of potato.

VI Balkan Symposium on Vegetables and Potatoes

B. Lazarević, V. Jurkić, M. Mušić, M. Poljak

Solanum tuberosum, carotenoids, chlorophylls, chlorophyll content index

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1142.10