Ten seeds were germinated in each pot, and after emergence, the plantlets were selected in such a way that only two remained in each pot.
The plants were cultivated in a controlled environment, at a temperature of 18 - 24ºC, having a photoperiod of 16 hours light, and 8 hours darkness.
Determining the chlorophyll content The chlorophyll content was determined by means of a portable chlorophyll meter (SPAD 502, Konika Minolta).
With every evaluation, the chlorophyll content was measured 6 times, and then the arithmetic mean was calculated.
The Chlorophyll Content Index (CCI) was determined with the following formula:
CCI = 0.9640 + 0.1850 SPAD – 0.0020 SPAD2 + 0.0002 SPAD3
Determining the foliar surface
The foliar surface was determined with a portable scanner Leaf Area Meter AM 300-0002, ADC Bioscientific Ltd for the foliar surface.