Physiological and growth response of water rose apple seedlings under variable light levels
摘要
Different parts of water rose apple plant are used for various functions. This shows the need for growth enhancement at the seedling stage using artificial light as an environmental modification system to improve development. Therefore, this study aimed to determine water rose apple seedlings physiological and growth responses under different light intensities and spectra. The experiment design was completely randomized and conducted with four replicates. The results showed that high-intensity red−blue light + red strip at 3:2 ratio treatment supported the distribution of total shoots and time of leaf flushing, but not the leaf number. At the end of periods, the lowest content of chlorophyll a and b occurred due to the lack of red−blue light combinations. High-intensity red−blue light + red strip at 3:2 ratio treatment increased stomata number, density, and aperture, including photosynthesis rate. Furthermore, the phenylpropanoid group was dominantly identified in the secondary metabolite profile. These results suggested that red-dominant light could promote growth and physiology, while blue-dominant light showed potential to enhance the secondary metabolite content of water rose apple leaf.