Determination of Chlorophyll Concentration in Seven Citrus species of Kokrajhar District, BTAD, Assam, India

Abstract

Citrus species grown to different localities of Kokrajhar district were identified in 2016 and thereafter another investigation was undertaken for determination of chlorophyll content in seven selected Citrus species during 2017-18. The primary aim of the study was to find out the chlorophyll concentration and its relationship with growth and development of the said plant species. Therefore, estimation and quantification of Chl a, Chl b and total chlorophyll (Chl a + Chl b) content in each species were carried out in Biotech Hub laboratory. An established fact is that green plants synthesize a wide range of primary and secondary metabolites in different quantity. Chlorophylls belong to the primary metabolites that give the color of the leaves and fruits, especially in the unripe stage. The spectral properties of chlorophylls are essential in harvesting light energy and in the transduction of absorbed light energy for photosynthesis. Like other plants, the variation of leaf colour as well as photosynthetic activity in Citrus species is dependent on chlorophyll concentration. Chlorophyll content determines the photosynthetic capacity of the plant per unit area of leaf, stress and nutritional deficiencies. The study has revealed district variation in terms of chlorophyll concentration among the studied species.