Table 5.

Effect of elevated levels of CO₂ on colonization, conidia and fibrosin bodies of S. fuliginea, cuticular traits, physiological and biochemical parameters of sponge gourd inoculated with the powdery mildew fungus.

CO2 Concentrations (ppm)	S. fuliginea.	Colonization (%)	Trans piration (mmol H2O m−2 s−1)	Stomatal Conductance (mol m−2 s−1)	Phenolic contents (µg g−1 fresh leaf)	Carotenoids (µg g−1 fresh leaf)	Conidial size (µm)		Fibrosin bodies/conidia	Trichomes /cm2	Stomata/cm2	Size of stomatal aperture (µm)	Trichome length (µm)
							length	width
Control (ambient)	Un inoculated		3.231	2.213	116.31	34.53				126.37	107.43	4.82	82.8
400			3.376	2.313	115.65	34.94				128.77	109.47	4.01	88.54
500			3.625	2.483	113.70	37.36				135.97	115.59	3.87	96.36
600			3.719	2.547	116.28	38.16				140.02	119.03	3.08	102.45
Control	Inoculated	49.63	3.525	2.414	132.55	31.32	29.03	11.08	6.02	118.16	100.45	5.41	78.47
400		51.37	3.376	2.313	138.11	31.80	29.96	11.43	6.21	121.82	103.56	5.01	80.5
500		56.18	3.131	2.144	141.40	34.08	30.05	11.47	6.23	128.14	108.93	4.88	87.48
600		55.09	3.040	2.082	143.23	34.81	30.13	11.50	6.25	131.17	111.51	4.21	94.57
LSD (P ≤ 0.05)
Treatment		—	0.10	0.07	3.58	1.69	—	—	—	3.82	3.67	0.13	2.61
CO2Level		2.31	0.07	0.05	2.53	1.19	1.07	0.74	0.71	2.70	2.59	0.92	1.85
CO2Level:Treatment		—	0.14	0.10	5.07	2.39	—	—	—	5.4	5.19	0.18	3.7

Each value is mean of 5 replicates. Ambient ~375 ppm CO₂.