ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of salt stress on production and antioxidative defense metabolism of two bell pepper cultivars (Capsicum annuum L.) grown hydroponically. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with treatments arranged in a 5 x 2 factorial scheme with five replicates. The treatments consisted of five salinity levels of the nutrient solution (2.0, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 dS m-1) with two bell pepper cultivars, ‘Bruno’ and ‘Rúbia’. Biomass and yield were reduced with increasing salinity. The contents of chlorophyll a, b and total decreased with increasing salinity. There was an increase in proline content and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), showing the activation... |