Effects of Cadmium, Thallium, and Vanadium on Photosynthetic Parameters of Three Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Varieties

Photosynthesis is a crucial process supporting life on Earth. However, unfavorable environmental conditions including toxic metals may limit the photosynthetic efficiency of plants, and the responses to those challenges may vary among genotypes. In this study, we evaluated photosynthetic parameters of the chili pepper varieties Jalapeno, Poblano, and Serrano exposed to Cd (0, 5, 10 mu M), Tl (0, 6, 12 nM), and V (0, 0.75, 1.5 mu M). Metals were added to the nutrient solution for 60 days. Stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), instantaneous carboxylation efficiency (Pn/Ci), instantaneous water use efficiency (instWUE), and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) were recorded. Mean Pn increased with 12 nM Tl in Serrano and with 0.75 mu M V in Poblano. Tl and V increased mean Tr in all three cultivars, while Cd reduced it in Jalapeno and Serrano. Gs was reduced in Jalapeno and Poblano with 5 mu M Cd, and 0.75 mu M V increased it in Serrano. Ci increased in Poblano with 6 nM Tl, while 12 nM Tl reduced it in Serrano. Mean instWUE increased in Poblano with 10 mu M Cd and 0.75 mu M V, and in Serrano with 12 nM Tl, while 6 nM Tl reduced it in Poblano and Serrano. Mean iWUE increased in Jalapeno and Poblano with 5 mu M Cd, in Serrano with 12 nM Tl, and in Jalapeno with 1.5 mu M V; it was reduced with 6 nM Tl in Poblano and Serrano. Pn/Ci increased in Serrano with 5 mu M Cd, in Jalapeno with 6 nM Tl, and in Poblano with 0.75 mu M V. Interestingly, Tl stimulated six and inhibited five of the seven photosynthetic variables measured, while Cd enhanced three and decreased two variables, and V stimulated five variables, with none inhibited, all as compared to the respective controls. We conclude that Cd, Tl, and V may inhibit or stimulate photosynthetic parameters depending on the genotype and the doses applied.