Analysis of Leaf Pigments of SJ-02 Cocoa Seedlings Under Different Irrigation Depths and Cultivation Containers

Abstract

The analysis of leaf pigments helps to understand the behavior of plant species under stress conditions. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the amount of leaf pigments in SJ-02 cocoa seedlings under different irrigation depths and cultivation containers. The experiment took place at the Federal Institute of Espírito Santo, Campus Itapina, in Colatina, a city located in the northwest of the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. A total of 144 seedlings were used, distributed in a completely randomized design, in a factorial scheme (6 × 3), where the first factor consisted of six different irrigation depths: 4; 6; 8; 10; 12 and 14 mm d-1 and the second one consisted of three different cultivation containers: polypropylene bags with dimensions of 10 × 20, 15 × 25 and 13 × 35, totalling 18 treatments, with eight repetitions. Seventy-four days after sowing, total chlorophyll content, flavonoid index and anthocyanin index were evaluated. There was no interaction between the factors studied. The 7 mm d-1 irrigation depth is the most suitable because it is practical in water management. Significance was not observed between the different cultivation containers.