Table 4.
Response of photosynthesis efficiency of salt-stressed chili pepper to foliar spray with bee-honey (HB) supplemented with silymarin (HB-Sm).
| Treatment | T. Chls (mg g−1 FW) | T. Carot (mg g−1 FW) | iCE (µmol m−2 s−1) | Fv/Fm | PhA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 2.48 ± 0.06 c | 0.62 ± 0.02 c | 0.26 ± 0.01 c | 0.82 ± 0.02 b | 44.8 ± 0.8 c |
| HB | 2.69 ± 0.08 b | 0.69 ± 0.02 b | 0.30 ± 0.01 b | 0.87 ± 0.03 a | 49.9 ± 1.1 b |
| HB-Sm | 2.92 ± 0.09 a | 0.78 ± 0.03 a | 0.33 ± 0.01 a | 0.89 ± 0.03 a | 54.7 ± 1.4 a |
| Salinity (S) | 0.97 ± 0.03 e | 0.35 ± 0.01 e | 0.12 ± 0.00 e | 0.44 ± 0.01 d | 24.2 ± 0.3 e |
| S + HB | 1.92 ± 0.04 d | 0.51 ± 0.01 d | 0.21 ± 0.01 d | 0.73 ± 0.02 c | 36.8 ± 0.6 d |
| S + HB-Sm | 2.39 ± 0.05 c | 0.69 ± 0.02 b | 0.25 ± 0.01 c | 0.80 ± 0.02 b | 43.5 ± 0.7 c |
Means (±SE) in each column followed by different letters are significant at the p ≤ 0.05 level based on Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) tests. PhA means photochemical activity. T. Chls = total chlorophyll, T. Carot = total carotenoids, iCE = instantaneous efficiency of carboxylation, Fv/Fm = Photosystem II quantum efficiency, PhA = photochemical activity.