Effects of foliar versus soil water application on ecophysiology, leaf anatomy and growth of pineapple

Abstract

from misting the foliage. Materials and methods – Relative water content, relative chlorophyll content, normalized difference vegetation index, membrane stability, and cross sectional leaf anatomy were measured at periodic intervals. Pineapple plants were subjected to soil irrigation, misting and drought. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment, total leaf area, plant biomass and assimilate partitioning to leaves, stems and roots were measured. Results and discussion – The normalized difference vegetation index revealed differences among treatments after fifteen days without irrigation. Pineapple plants endured thirty days of water stress without membrane damage. Plants irrigated by applying water only to the leaves did not receive adequate water amounts and showed similar signs of drought stress as those of the non-irrigated treatment. Conclusion – Based on ecophysiological, anatomical and growth responses, soil water application alone is sufficient for avoiding water stress and excessively high leaf temperatures of pineapple plants grown in protected culture in the subtropics, whereas only misting the leaves does not provide adequate water supply to prevent water stress.