GROWTH, PHYSIOLOGICAL AND STOMATAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RED OKRA (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS L. MOENCH) SEEDLINGS AT DIFFERENT LIGHT INTENSITIES

Okra is a significant vegetable crop, extensively cultivated in tropical and temperate regions. Its antioxidant potential and medicinal properties have been well-documented. The study uses red okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) of the cultivar 'Yanjiao 1' and uses a one-factor randomized block design. The seedlings, flattened after the cotyledons, were exposed to rare earth plant light consisting of blue light (B), red light (R), blue plus red light (BR37), purple light (PL) and fluorescent light (CK, control) to examine the impact of diverse light qualities on growth, root activity, pigments, photosynthetic products, flavonoid, soluble protein and stomatal characteristics. This investigation analyses the effects of varying light qualities on different growth-related parameters. The study revealed that the BR37 treatment had the greatest impact on the fresh and dry mass, stem length, root length, and stem diameter of red okra seedlings. Furthermore, root activity of red okra seedlings in B, BR37, R and P treatments was greater than CK, with the highest root activity observed under the BR37. Red okra leaves exhibited a similar trend in pigments levels among different light quality. The largest values were observed under the B, followed by the BR37. The highest levels of soluble sugars and free amino acids were found under the R light, while starch and sucrose levels were highest under the BR37 light. The flavonoid content in red okra seedlings was highest under BR37 and B. Soluble protein of red okra seedlings was the biggest under the BR37 light. The adaxial and abaxial surfaces of stomatal length and width in red okra were highest under treatment with BR37. Stomatal density under various light qualities yielded similar trends with the highest density achieved under BR37 treatment. It is evident that BR37 significantly enhances the growth, root activity, pigment, photosynthetic products, flavonoid, soluble protein, and stomatal development of red okra seedlings. Thus, BR37 can serve as an artificial light source for cultivating red okra seedlings.