Water availability and seasonality affect phytomass production and photosynthetic pigments of Aloysia citrodora Paláu

Abstract

Vegetative growth can be affected by different environmental factors. The objective of this work was to evaluate phytomass production and photosynthetic pigments of Aloysia citrodora plants submitted to different irrigation levels and seasons. The experiment was carried out in a protected environment from August 2015 to March 2017, in an experimental randomized blocks design, 4x4 factorial scheme, with four blocks with four plants each. The irrigation levels tested were 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the field capacity, in the four seasons of the year (autumn, winter, spring and summer). Plant height, fresh and dry mass of branches, fresh and dry mass of leaves, leaf area and photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids) were evaluated. It was observed that water availability and seasons influence phytomass production as well as the photosynthetic pigment analyzes. Low irrigation levels and cultivation during autumn and winter adversely affect vegetative growth. Furthermore, our results indicate that for higher phytomass production, it is recommended to cultivate Aloysia citrodora during spring and summer under irrigation levels of 75% and 100% of field capacity. Spring season promotes higher content of photosynthetic pigments. This study will open new avenues and perspectives to elucidate possible changes in secondary metabolites of Aloysia citrodora, a medicinal plant, in the presence of changes in the growing seasons and different stress conditions, including water stress.