Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
1st International Congress on Biosystems Engineering, Hatay, Türkiye, 24 - 27 Eylül 2019, ss.41
Melatonin in plant first discovered in 1995, since then it has drawn more and more attention for its
complex roles in plants. Melatonin helps plants respond to light and dark cycles and respond to difficult
environments. It is considered an antioxidant with important actions in the control of reactive oxygen and
harmful oxidative molecules present in plant cells. We investigated the effects of melatonin with different
doses (0, 5, 25, 50, 100, 150 μM) on leaf gas exchange in eggplant seedlings under drought stress. We
measured leaf water content, photosynthesis, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and concentration of
intercellular CO2 of the eggplant seedlings before harvest. Photosynthesis decreased with drought stress as
compared to control, but the foliar application of melatonin improved plant photosynthesis both under
drought and well-watered conditions as compared to control treatment. However increased application doses
of melatonin were not as favorable as the initial application doses. We also found that foliar application of
melatonin increased the leaf water content of the eggplant at all application doses under drought.