PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES OF CULTIVATED EGGPLANT (SOLANUM MELONGENA L.) IN RESPONSE TO WATER DEFICIT

The effects of drought on the physiology of eggplants (Solanum melongena L. cv., Madona) were studied. Drought stress treatment had been done by irrigating the plants with 80%, 60% and 20% of water needed to reach soil pot capacity, plus normal irrigation (control treatment). The objective of this research was to reveal physiological response of eggplant to different levels of drought stress, as well as, its nutrient. The obtained results showed that, nutrients concentrations of the studied eggplants grown in pots under different irrigation treatments decrease according to water stress levels. Drought stress significantly reduced the ammount of total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total carotenoids resulting in damaged leaves. Carotenoids decreased in response to water stress from 8.65 mg/g FW under control in comparison to 5.84 mg/g FW the fourth water deficit treatment. All water stress treatments increased the accumulation of proline content in plant. Lack of water in plant modified anti -oxidative enzyme activities in order to alleviate the water stress. The results indicate that irrigation treatment with 80% of pot capacity have more efficient water use than 60% and 40%, which reduces drought stress and improves ionic balance of the plants.