The objective of this work was to study the effects of waterlogged soil on the stomatal conductance, the relative water content, the chlorophyll content and on the N, P, K and soluble sugar concentrations of leaf, bulb and root tissues of young pijuayo palms (Bactris gasipaes Kunth). Six month old age plants were submitted to flooding by continuous periods of seven, 14 and 21 days. Flooding induced the closure of the stomata, although the leaf tissues have maintained high relative water contents (about 90%). Root anoxia also induced reduction of the contents of total chlorophyll, organic N, P and mainly K in leaf tissues and significant reduction of the root biomass. In the flooded plants, the soluble sugar contents of the leaves, bulb and roots were higher than in the same tissues of the control plants. Although no death of plants have been detected to the end of the experimental period, these metabolic alterations allow to affirm that this species (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) is sensitive to the root flooding.
stomata; chlorophylls; nutrient content; waterlogging
