Salt stress causes extensive losses to agricultural crops, including wheat, throughout the world and has been the focus of wide research. Though, information is scarce on the potential of ancient wheat relatives in tackling this major limiting factor. Thus, six hulled tetraploid wheat genotypes (HW) were compared to a
free-threshing durum wheat genotype (FTW) under different NaCl concentrations, ranging from 0 to 150 mM, at early growth stages in a sand culture experiment. Salt stress induced significant declines in the leaf chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl b, total Chl, and carotentoid contents; the extent of the declines was greater in FTW compared to HW. Mean leaf proline (3.6-fold) and Na+ (1.58-fold) concentrations and Na+/K+ (2.48-fold) drastically increased with 150 mM of NaCl; the magnitude of the increases was greater in HW compared to FTW. While the carotenoids concentration decreased with progressive salinity both in HW and FTW, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, i.e., catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and peroxidase were reduced in FTW, but remained unchanged in HW. The above responses to 150 mM NaCl were associated with a significant decrease in shoot dry mass of FTW and lack of significant changes in that of HW. Findings of the present study could help pave the way for further studies on physiological and molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance in these durum wheat relatives., S. Tabatabaei, P. Ehsanzadeh., and Seznam literatury
European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seedlings of three different origins were used to evaluate the effect of water deficit and recovery during the most vulnerable phase of forest tree life. Gas-exchange characteristics and fluorescence rapid light curves were studied in the seedlings from a warm region (PV1, 530 m a.s.l.), seedlings from a moderately warm region (PV2, 625 m a.s.l.), optimal for beech, and in seedlings from a cool region (PV3; 1,250 m a.s.l.). Changes in photosynthetic characteristics caused by water deficit were similar, but their intensity was dependent on the origin of the seedlings. Simulation of drought conditions by the interruption of watering led to a decrease in the efficiency of primary photochemistry in PSII, with the most significant decrease in the PV2 seedlings. Conversely, water deficit affected most significantly gas exchange in PV3, where the recovery process was also the worst. The PV1 demonstrated the highest resistance to water deficit. Drought-adaptation of beech seedlings at non-native sites seems to be linked to water availability and to the origin of the beech seedlings., E. Pšidová, Ľ. Ditmarová, G. Jamnická, D. Kurjak, J. Majerová, T. Czajkowski, A. Bolte., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Small rainfall events (≤ 5 mm) have short intervals, but account for a large proportion of the annual rainfall frequency in arid lands. To explore possible strategies used by desert plants to utilize the small rainfall events, we investigated the photosynthetic responses of 28 species to 1 mm and 6 mm of simulated rainfall in the Junggar Basin, northwest China. The species were grouped into four plant functional types: short-life-cycle herbs, long-life-cycle herbs, non-phreatophyte shrubs, and phreatophyte shrubs. The results showed that the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate increased in most of the herbs, but they responded differently to the rainfall treatments. However, the water-use efficiency did not significantly differ after 1 and 6 mm rainfall treatments in most of the shrubs. The maximum water absorption by leaves and the percentage increase of a leaf water content (LWC) were higher in the herbs than those in the shrubs. Plants with dense trichomes had the highest LWC. The results suggested that the desert plants benefited from the
micro-environment humidity provided by the small rainfall events., Y. Wu, X. J. Zheng , Y. Li., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Ferns flourish in many habitats, from epiphytic to terrestrial and from sunny to shady, and such varied conditions require contrasting photosynthetic strategies to cope with drought. Four species of temperate ferns from different habitats were subjected to drought by withholding irrigation in order to investigate their photosynthetic responses. Lepisorus thunbergianus (epiphytic) had low stomatal density and showed high water-use efficiency (WUE) retaining photosynthetic activity with low relative frond water content under drought stress, which suggested their high adaptation to drought. On the other hand, low WUE with low light-saturated photosynthetic rate in Adiantum pedatum (terrestrial, shady environment) was associated with much lower photosynthesis than in the other species under drought stress, suggesting lower adaptation to drought-prone habitats. Morphological stomatal traits such as stomatal density and photosynthetic response to drought in ferns involved species-specific adaptation to survive and grow in their natural habitats with different levels of drought., K. Nishida, Y. T. Hanba., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The poikilochorophyllous, desiccation-tolerant (PDT) angiosperm, Pleurostima purpurea, normally occurs in less exposed rock faces and slightly shady sites. Our aim was to evaluate the light susceptibility of the photosynthetic apparatus during dehydration-rehydration cycle in P. purpurea. In a controlled environment, the potted plants were subjected to water deficit under two different photosynthetic photon flux densities [PPFD, 100 and 400 μmol(photon) m-2 s-1]. In the higher PPFD, net photosynthetic rate (PN) become undetectable after stomata closure but photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, electron transport rate, and photochemical quenching coefficient were maintained relatively high, despite a partial decrease. The photochemical activity was inhibited only after the complete loss of chlorophylls, when leaf relative water content dropped below 72% and total carotenoids reached maximal accumulation. Nonphotochemical energy dissipation increased earlier in response to dehydration under higher PPFD. PN and photochemical activity were fully recovered after rehydration under both light treatments. Our results suggested that the natural occurrence of P. purpurea should not be restricted by the light intensity during the complete desiccation-rehydration cycles., S. T. Aidar, S.T. Meirelles, R. F. Oliveira, A. R. M. Chaves, P. I. Fernandes-Júnior., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Photosynthetic characteristics of ear and flag leaves of wheat species, tetraploid Triticum dicoccoides Kom and hexaploid Bima1, were studied in plants grown under well-watered (WW) and water-stressed (WS) conditions. Compared to ears, flag leaves exhibited higher photosynthetic rate (PN) at the filling stage, but more severe decrease under WS. PN in the tetraploid wheat ear remained higher than that in the hexaploid wheat during the grain-filling stage. Water stress decreased PN in both the organs; this decline was caused by a reduction in Rubisco activity, not by drought-induced stomatal limitation. Tetraploid wheat ears exhibited higher relative water content and water-use efficiency than that of hexaploid wheat, under WS. The change in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity and carbon isotope composition indicated the absence of C4 metabolism in the ears of both species under both conditions. The improved performance of the tetraploid wheat ears under WS was associated with better water relations., Y. P. Li, Y. Y. Li, D. Y. Li, S. W. Wang, S. Q. Zhang., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Pulses of rainfall are particularly pivotal in controlling plant physiological processes in ecosystems controlled by limited water, and the response of desert plants to rainfall is a key to understanding the responses of desert ecosystems to global climatic change. We used a portable photosynthesis system to measure the responses of the diurnal course of photosynthesis, light-response curves, and CO2-response curves of two desert shrubs (Nitraria sphaerocarpa Maxim. and Calligonum mongolicum Turcz) to a rainfall pulse in a desert-oasis ecotone in northwestern China. The photosynthetic parameters, light- and CO2-response curves differed significantly before and after the rainfall pulse. Their maximum net photosynthetic rate (PN) values were 23.27 and 32.92 μmol(CO2) m-2 s-1 for N. sphaerocarpa and C. mongolicum, respectively, with corresponding maximum stomatal conductance (gs) values of 0.47 and 0.39 mol(H2O) m-2 s-1. The PN of N. sphaerocarpa after the rainfall was 1.65 to 1.75 times the value before rainfall, whereas those of C. mongolicum increased to approximately 2 times the prerainfall value, demonstrating the importance of the desert plants response by improving their assimilation rate to precipitation patterns under a future climate., B. Liu, W. Z. Zhao, Z. J. Wen., and Obsahuje bibliografii
To explore the effects of water column nutrient loading on photosynthesis of the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara during the growth season (June to October), we determined the diurnal and seasonal variation in rapid light curves of plants cultivated under 4 different nutrient concentrations (N-P [mg L-1]: (1) 0.5, 0.05; (2) 1.0, 0.1; (3) 5.0, 0.5; (4) 10.0, 1.0). Nutrient concentration significantly affected the magnitude of the rapid light curves of V. natans, but not the direction of their diurnal variations. At low nutrient conditions (N-P 1 [mg L-1]: 0.5, 0.05), the maximum relative electron transport rate (rETRmax) and minimum saturating irradiance (Ek) derived from rapid light curves were significantly lower than those of other treatments, and their seasonal variations were suppressed. These results indicated that photosynthesis of V. natans was inhibited by the lack of nutrients in water column. At high nutrient conditions (N-P 4, [mg L-1]: 10.0, 1.0), there was an increase in photosynthetic rate in the light-limited region of rapid light curve (α), and a decrease in rETRmax and Ek, relative to moderate nutrient conditions (N-P 2, [mg L-1]: 1.0, 0.1). In addition, at high nutrient concentrations, the rapid light curves of V. natans reached a plateau, and then markedly declined compared with those at the lower nutrient levels, especially in July and August. These results suggested that V. natans were adapted to low-light environments in the high-nutrient loading treatment., X. L. Cai ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The photosynthetic responses to salt stress were examined in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Asakaze)-barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Manas) 7H addition line having elevated salt tolerance and compared to the parental wheat genotype. For this purpose, increasing NaCl concentrations up to 300 mM were applied and followed by a 7-day recovery period. Up to moderate salt stress (200 mM NaCl), forcible stomatal closure, parallel with a reduction in the net assimilation rate (PN), was only observed in wheat, but not in the 7H addition line or barley. Since the photosynthetic electron transport processes of wheat were not affected by NaCl, the impairment in PN could largely be accounted for the salt-induced decline in stomatal conductance (gs), accompanied by depressed intercellular CO2 concentration and carboxylation efficiency. Both, PN and nonstomatal limitation factors (Lns) were practically unaffected by moderate salt stress in barley and in the 7H addition line due to the sustained gs, which might be an efficient strategy to maintain the efficient photosynthetic activity and biomass production. At 300 mM NaCl, both PN and gs decreased significantly in all the genotypes, but the changes in PN and Lns in the 7H addition line were more favourable similar to those in wheat. The downregulation of photosynthetic electron transport processes around PSII, accompanied by increases in the quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation and of the donor side limitation of PSI without damage to PSII, was observed in the addition line and barley during severe stress. Incomplete recovery of PN was observed in the 7H addition line as a result of declined PSII activity probably caused by enhanced cyclic electron flow around PSI. These results suggest that the better photosynthetic tolerance to moderate salt stress of barley can be manifested in the 7H addition line which may be a suitable candidate for improving salt tolerance of wheat., D. Szopkó, É. Darkó, I. Molnár, K. Kruppa, B. Háló, A. Vojtkó,
M. Molnár-Láng, S. Dulai., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Seedlings of Chrysanthemum, cultivar 'Puma Sunny', were grown under a range of shading regimes (natural full sunlight, 55, 25, and 15% of full sunlight) for 18 days. Here, we characterized effects of varying light regimes on plant morphology, photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, anatomical traits, and chloroplast ultrastructure. We showed that leaf color was yellowish-green under full sunlight. Leaf area, internode length, and petiole length of plants were the largest under 15% irradiance. Net photosynthetic rate, water-use efficiency, PSII quantum efficiency, and starch grain were reduced with decreasing irradiance from 100 to 15%. Heavy shading resulted in the partial closure of PSII reaction centers and the CO₂ assimilation was restricted. The results showed the leaves of plants were thinner under 25 and 15% irradiance with loose palisade tissue and irregularly arranged spongy mesophyll cells, while the plants grown under full sunlight showed the most compact leaf palisade parenchyma. Irradiance lesser than 25% of full sunlight reduced carbon assimilation and led to limited plant growth. Approximately 55% irradiance was suggested to be the optimal for Chrysanthemum morifolium., S. Han, S. M. Chen, A. P. Song, R. X. Liu, H. Y. Li, J. F. Jiang, F. D. Chen., and Obsahuje bibliografii