Chlorophyll evaluation of Mansonia altissima (A CHEV.) seedlings performance under different light intensities and soil textural classes

Chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis. It serves two primary functions which are to absorb light and transfer that light energy into chemical energy. This study assessed the chlorophyll content of Mansonia altissima seedlings under different light intensities (25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) and soil textural classes (Sandy, Loamy, Sandy-loam and Clay). The study was conducted in a 4 X 4 factorial experiment in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Interactions of the effects of light intensity and soil textural classes showed that leaves of seedlings raised under 50% light intensity with sandy soil had the highest chlorophyll a content 32.41 ± 0.04 mg/l while leaves of seedlings raised under 50% light the intensity with clay soil had the least chlorophyll content with 16.18 ± 0.04 mg/l but for chlorophyll b, leaves of seedlings grown under 25% light intensity with clay soil had the highest chlorophyll b content 67.83 ± 0.01 mg/l while leaves of seedlings grown under 25% light intensity with sandy soil had the least content of 12.13 ± 0.01 mg/l. This implies that Mansonia altissima does not make changes in morphological characteristics due to the effect of light intensities and soil textural classes but the change in physiological characteristics such as biochemical change and an example are amount of chlorophyll a and b content of the leaves of Mansonia altissima seedlings examined in this study.