The aim of work was to determine the effect of antigibberellin preparations with different mechanisms of action on the formation of the leaf apparatus, the features of the mesostructure, and the photosynthetic productivity of leaves in connection with the yield of sweet pepper. In the field experiment, plants were treated at the budding stage with aqueous solutions of chlormequat chloride, tebuconazole, and esfon. Phytometric indices, mesostructural organization of leaves, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic productivity, and cenotic indices of plantations were determined at the fruiting stage. It was found that the preparations inhibited the linear growth of plants. The most significant decrease in height was observed after the application of esfon. The leaves number on the plant decreased under esfon treatment, while this index did not change under the chlormequat chloride and tebuconazole applications. Chlormequat chloride and tebuconazole, unlike the ethylene producer esfon, increased the fresh and dry weight of leaves and the whole plant, the leaves area, and the leaf index of plantings. The increase in the area of pepper plants leaf surface occurred due to an increase in the area of individual leaves, since their total number did not change significantly under the action of preparations. All antigibberellin preparations increased the specific leaf weight, which was due to the thickening of leaf blades as a result of the chlorenchyma cells growth, namely, an increase in the volume of columnar parenchyma cells and the size of spongy parenchyma cells. Retardants significantly increased the chlorophyll content in leaves and the chlorophyll index, and contributed to an increase in the net photosynthetic productivity, which became an important prerequisite for increasing the yield of sweet pepper crops. The greatest increase in yield was revealed under the action of tebuconazole, while the weight of one fruit did not change significantly. The use of esfon did not significantly change the yield. Therefore, the formation of a more powerful leaf apparatus under the action of retardants enhanced its donor function, which became a prerequisite for increasing the biological productivity of the crop.
Keywords: Capsicum annuum L., source-sink system, retardant, ethylene producer, leaf apparatus, leaf mesostructure, coenotic indices, yield
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