Tomato and pepper plants growing in the waters of South Morava River within the Vranje region

Abstract

Various harmful substances emitted from industrial and other sources cause environmental pollution (air, water, soil) and they have bad influence on the live nature and plants which represent the main link in material circulation.

Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate, by using the method of water cultures, the influence of harmful effluents in the course of South Morava River within the Vranje region on tomato and pepper vegetable plants growing in comparison with the controlled plants which were grown in distilled water.

The results show differences in percents of tomato and pepper plants growing depending on the point from which the water sample was taken i.e. the concentration of water pollution. The differences are shown among plants, and among plant organs such as root, stem and leaves.

The greatest percentage of growing is measured for tomato and pepper plants which were grown in the water sample at the place before the empty of factory effluents and it is 80.7 % for tomato and 80.1 % for pepper plants in comparison with the control. The least percentage of growing is measured for tomato plants which were grown in the 36 Acta Agriculturae Serbica, Vol. IX, 18 (2004) 35-42 sample water after the empty of factory waste waters and it is 55.9 % in comparison with the control.

Also, the growth of all plant organs of pepper is bigger than the growth of plant organs of tomato plant in all measuring points of the water sample. Thus, the percentage of dried mass of pepper plant organs is bigger than of tomato plant organs in all tested water samples.

Tomato and pepper plant growing is inhibited in all tested points in comparison with the controlled plants and it shows that the water of this river is polluted and therefore such water can not be used for human purposes (drinking or watering cultures). Our results can be used as water pollution indicators for biological monitoring.