RESPONSES OF CHILI-PEPPER CULTIVARS TO TRANSIENT WATER-STRESS

Fifteen cultivars of chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) obtained from different regions were investigated to acquire basic information on the responses to water stress. The plants were subjected to water stress just prior to anthesis by withholding water supply. They were rewatered when severe wilting symptom persisted throughout the night. The early-flowering cultivars tolerated water stress for longer period than did the intermediate- or late-flowering cultivars, presumably because the former were stressed when they were young and were smaller than were the latter cultivars. Also the weather during the stress period of the early-flowering cultivars was more humid and cooler than when the intermediate- and late-flowering ones were stressed. Slow recovery and some stress symptoms were observed in the long-big and cluster fruit type cultivars but not in the cone fruit type cultivars. Although plant length growth was decreased in all cultivars during the treatment period, rapid recovery in stem and leaf elongation was observed after rewatering. The rapid recovery combined with small decreases in plant height and shoot and root dry weights may indicate that their photosynthetic and respiratory apparatuses were not damaged by the stress. Rapid recovery of vegatative parts, however, seems to have suppressed the development of the fruit, and subsequently reduced the yield in some cultivars. The treated plants were harvested later than were the control plants by some period. There is a tendency that the yield was reduced in the cultivars whose delay of harvest was nearly equal to the duration of the treatment period.