VARIATION OF CHLOROPHYLL AND CAROTENOID PIGMENTS IN SOME WINTER WHEAT FLAG LEAF UNDER DIFFERENT FERTILIZER REGIMES

Abstract

Five Romanian winter wheat genotypes were analyzed during two experimental years (2019-2020) under four different
regime fertilizers for chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid contents from flag leaf, respectively, number of
grains/spike, weight of grains/spike, thousand kernel weight. The results showed that the application of additional
fertilization increase the analyzed traits, also causing an increase of traits variability. Regarding the variation of
photosynthetic pigments from flag leaf as an effect of different fertilizer levels, their concentration is specific to each
variety. The highest value of chlorophyll a type is observed in Cezara variety (665.83 mg/kg DW) at N150 kg s.a./ha
fertilization level applied in a boot stage. The variation of chlorophyll b concentration in flag leaf is similar to
chlorophyll a concentration as a reaction of different nitrogen dose aplication, the highest value for this type of
chlorophyll being registered in T. 109-12 at F4 (519.64 mg/kg DW). Carotenoid concentration from flag leaf varies
from 3.93 mg/kg DW at Dumitra variety (F3) to 97.63 mg/kg DW at Andrada variety in F2 fertilization level.