Abstract

FERIA-GOMEZ, DIEGO FELIPE; LONDONO-PUERTA, DIEGO ALEJANDRO  and  CORDOBA-GAONA, OSCAR DE JESÚS. Relationship between chlorophyll a fluorescence and yield in banana (Musa AAA Simmonds cv. Cavendish). rev.colomb.cienc.hortic. [online]. 2022, vol.16, n.1, e13313.  Epub Jan 14, 2023. ISSN 2011-2173.  https://doi.org/10.17584/rcch.2022v16i1.13313.

Chlorophyll a fluorescence is used to characterize plant responses to natural environments or stress conditions. This study aimed to identify correlations between the maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (Qy) with climatic and soil variables associated with bunch weight. The experiment design used in the field included an observational and longitudinal study, where 72 production units in the independent vegetative stage were randomly selected, of which 36 units were from a low production area, and 36 were from a high production area. In each unit, the quantum yield (Qy: Fv/Fm) was measured and correlated with climatic and soil variables, the nutrient content in the leaves, and the average weight of the cluster in each sampled batch. The results indicated a correlation between a Qy of -0.703 for temperature and -0.583 for radiation. On the other hand, pH and resistance to soil penetration were directly related to the Qy to a lesser extent, with r² values of 12.77 and 24.28%, respectively. Rainfall, wind, gusts, dew point, atmospheric pressure, and texture composition of the soil did not significantly affect Qy variation; when attacks by leaf pests (mites) occurred, significant reductions were also observed. Qy is a variable that responds to the stress generated by factors external to a plant that can significantly affect production, with a reduction of up to 2 kg per cluster and a bias of three to four weeks when a loss of 0.04 points occurs in the Qy value.

Keywords : abiotic stress; photosystem II; plant phenology; plant response; Musaceae.

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