Respon pertumbuhan dan fisiologi tanaman Asystasia gangetica, Impatiens balsamina, dan Mirabilis jalapa pada tingkat polusi yang berbeda

Abstract

Air pollution is an environmental issue that causes the changing and decreasing of air quality. The plants have different response to the aerial pollution. The purpose of this research was to analyze growth and physiological responses of Asystasia gangetica, Impatiens balsamina, and Mirabilis jalapa grown under different level of pollution in Bogor. The plants were grown in polybag and during 3 months they were exposed to different conditions: (1) with higher aerial pollution and (2) with lower aerial pollution. Growth responses observed in the experiment were the improvement of relative high, leaf number, leaf area, and the value of roots and shoot fresh weight, dry weight, and ratio of shoot/roots. Physiologycal responses observation was also analysed, including chlorophyll and ascorbic acid content. Different pollutant intentsity caused different in growth of Asystasia gangetica, Impatiens balsamina, and Mirabilis jalapa. The plants grown in higher pollution had lower chlorophyll and lower shoot/roots ratio as compared to those grown in lower pollution. Higher aerial pollution caused the plant underwent stress indicated by the increase of ascorbic acid content. The data showed that the plants were sensitive to the aerial pollution even though the pollutant content was still lower than below the standard threshold.