The Alleviating Effect of Elevated CO2 on Heat Stress Susceptibility of Two Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Cultivars

This study analysed the alleviating effect of elevated CO₂ on stress‐induced decreases in photosynthesis and changes in carbohydrate metabolism in two wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) of different origin. The plants were grown in ambient (400 μl l^?1) and elevated (800 μl l^?1) CO₂ with a day/night temperature of 15/10 °C. At the growth stages of tillering, booting and anthesis, the plants were subjected to heat stress of 40 °C for three continuous days. Photosynthetic parameters, maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry (F_v/F_m) and contents of pigments and carbohydrates in leaves were analysed before and during the stress treatments as well as after 1 day of recovery. Heat stress reduced P_N and F_v/F_m in both wheat cultivars, but plants grown in elevated CO₂ maintained higher P_N and F_v/F_m in comparison with plants grown in ambient CO₂. Heat stress reduced leaf chlorophyll contents and increased leaf sucrose contents in both cultivars grown at ambient and elevated CO₂. The content of hexoses in the leaves increased mainly in the tolerant cultivar in response to the combination of elevated CO₂ and heat stress. The results show that heat stress tolerance in wheat is related to cultivar origin, the phenological stage of the plants and can be alleviated by elevated CO₂. This confirms the complex interrelation between environmental factors and genotypic traits that influence crop performance under various climatic stresses.     

Genetic Variation for Heat Tolerance During the Reproductive Phase in Brassica rapa

We investigated heat tolerance at the reproductive stage in six spring‐type B. rapa accessions and one B. juncea accession as a control. Plants were subjected to two temperature treatments for seven days in controlled environmental rooms, beginning one day before the first open flower on the main stem inflorescence. The high‐temperature treatment ranged from 25 °C to 35 °C during 16 h light and 25 °C during 8 h dark. The control temperature treatment was set at 23 °C during 16 h light and 15 °C during 8 h dark. Soil moisture was maintained at close to field capacity to avoid drought stress. Main stem buds that emerged during the treatment period were tagged, and pod and seed production was recorded at each reproductive node. Leaf temperature depression and leaf conductance increased in the high‐temperature treatment which indicated that plants were not drought stressed. A leafy vegetable type of B. rapa from Indonesia was the most tolerant to high temperature, as defined by its ability to set seed equally well in the control and high‐temperature treatments, followed by an oilseed type from Pakistan. Pollen viability remained above 87 % in all accessions and treatments. We conclude that bud number and length, and pod number produced under high temperatures, might provide a useful preliminary screen for high‐temperature tolerance and that B. rapa may be a valuable source of heat tolerance in canola (B. napus).     

Sensitivity of Two Quinoa (ChenopodiumquinoaWilld.) Varieties to Progressive Drought Stress

Quinoa (ChenopodiumquinoaWilld.) is a highly nutritious Andean seed crop which shows great potential to grow under a range of hostile environments. The objective of this study was to investigate the differences of drought tolerance of a Bolivian (Achachino) and a Danish (Titicaca) variety, and especially drought‐related adaption strategies. Soil water status was expressed as the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW). Relative stomatal conductance (RSC), relative transpiration (RT) and relative leaf water potential (RLW) were calculated by determining stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and leaf water potential of the drought‐treated plants relative to those of fully irrigated plants. The responses of RSC, RT and RLW to decreasing FTSW were described by a linear‐plateau model. The critical value of FTSW was the threshold of FTSW where the parameters studied decreased. The thresholds increased C_S for stomatal conductance, C_T for transpiration and C_Lfor leaf water potential. Achachino showed significantly lower C_T and C_L when compared with Titicaca, implying that transpiration and leaf water potential were less affected under mild drought conditions in the Bolivian variety. C_S in Achachino was significantly higher than C_L and C_T, which indicated that stomatal conductance declined before transpiration and leaf water potential were reduced. Such difference was found in Titicaca where reduction of leaf area had more effect on transpiration than stomatal closure. Slower growth rate and smaller leaf area in combination with a lower stomatal conductance was found to contribute to drought resistance in Achachino. ABA concentration in the xylem sap tended to increase in both varieties after 2 days onset of drought, prior to decline in leaf water potential. Titicaca showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher ABA concentration when compared with Achachino under both fully irrigated and drought conditions. Titicaca had higher xylem nutrient concentration in comparison with Achachino in both fully‐watered and drought plants at day 2 after onset of soil drying. It was concluded that Titicaca was more sensitive to progressive drought than Achachino which avoided water loss by means of lower growth rate and smaller leaf area.     

Trade-offs between water-use related traits,yield components and mineral nutrition of wheat under Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE)

This study investigated trade-offs between parameters determining water use efficiency of wheat under elevated CO₂ in contrasting growing seasons and a semi-arid environment. We also evaluated whether previously reported negative relationships between nutrient content and transpiration efficiency among wheat genotypes will be maintained under elevated CO₂ conditions. Two cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Scout and Yitpi, purportedly differing in water use efficiency related traits (e.g. transpiration efficiency) but with common genetic backgrounds were studied in a high yielding, high rainfall (2013), and in a low yielding, very dry growing season (2014) under Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE, CO₂ concentration of approximately 550 μmol mol⁻¹) and ambient (approximately 390 μmol mol⁻¹) CO₂. Gas exchange measurements were collected diurnally between stem elongation and anthesis. Aboveground biomass and nutrient content (sum of Ca, K, S, P, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn and Mg) were determined at anthesis. Yield, yield components and harvest index were measured at physiological maturity. Cultivar Scout showed transiently greater transpiration efficiency (measured by gas exchange) over cultivar Yitpi under both ambient and elevated CO₂ conditions, mainly expressed in the high yielding but not in the low yielding season. Nutrient content was on average 13% greater for the lower transpiration efficiency cultivar Yitpi than the cultivar with higher transpiration efficiency (Scout) in the high yielding season across both CO₂ concentrations. Elevated CO₂ stimulated grain yield to a greater extent in the high yielding season than in the low yielding season where increased aboveground biomass earlier in the season did not translate into fertile tillers in cultivar Yitpi. Yield increased 27 and 33% in the high yielding and 0 and 19% in the low yielding season for cultivars Yitpi and Scout, respectively. Intraspecific variation in CO₂ responsiveness related mechanisms of grain yield were observed. These results suggest CO₂-driven trade-offs between traits governing water use efficiency are related to both growing season and intraspecific variations, and under very dry finishes, the trade-offs may even reverse. The negative relationship between nutrient content and transpiration efficiency among wheat genotypes will be maintained under elevated CO₂ conditions.     

沙棘叶生理年龄与源库功能转化的关系

沙棘是喜光植物,属阳生叶。群体叶片,5月份生长速率慢,6月份加快,7月份最快,8月份开始减缓。一个枝条上新叶数占28.6%,成熟叶数76.7%,老叶数23.3%。自枝条顶端向下不同叶位叶之间存在着生理年龄上的差异,也存在着表观光合效率上的差异。叶序5～13为幼叶;15～31是成熟叶;33叶以为老叶。幼叶叶绿素含量较低,成熟叶含量最高,老叶又明显下降。气孔导度,也具有幼叶张开度小,成熟叶张开度最大,老叶张开度又变小。沙棘叶气孔CO2浓度也具有个体和生理年龄上的差异。     

黄瓜气孔导度、水力导度的环境响应及其调控蒸腾效应

以营养生长期温室黄瓜为研究对象,通过四元二次正交旋转组合设计,分析稳态流条件下土壤相对含水率、空气温度、空气湿度和光合有效辐射对气孔导度、土壤植物系统总水力导度的影响及其调控蒸腾效应。结果表明,4个环境因子对气孔导度、总水力导度均有正效应,对其影响最大的环境因子分别是空气湿度、空气温度;土壤相对含水率与光合有效辐射、空气温度与空气湿度对气孔导度和总水力导度存在明显的交互作用;空气湿度对气孔导度、总水力导度的单因子效应为开口向上的抛物线函数,其他环境因子的单因子效应皆趋近于线性递增函数;各因子的边际效应分析表明,空气湿度是气孔导度的主要调控途径,除光合有效辐射外,其他因子均可有效调控总水力导度。采用通径分析方法研究了环境因子、气孔导度、总水力导度调控蒸腾效应,结果表明,空气温度、光合有效辐射和气孔导度均主要通过增强总水力导度对蒸腾作用产生间接正效应,其次是对蒸腾作用的直接正效应;土壤相对含水率主要通过增强总水力导度和气孔导度对蒸腾作用产生间接正效应;空气湿度的直接影响为负效应,但其主要影响途径为通过增强总水力导度和气孔导度对蒸腾作用的正效应;气孔导度与总水力导度响应环境因子变化并相互作用,协同调控蒸腾作用。     

Physiological Response of Multiple Contrasting Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Cultivars to Suboptimal Temperatures

The physiological response of multiple rice cultivars, eighteen initially and eight cultivars later on, to suboptimal temperatures (ST) conditions was investigated in laboratory and outdoor experimental conditions. Treatment with ST decreased growth in different extents according to the cultivar and affected the PSII performance, determined by chlorophyll fluorescence fast‐transient test, and stomatal conductance, regardless the experimental condition. Two groups of cultivars could be distinguished on the base of their growth and physiological parameters. The group of cultivars presenting higher growths displayed optimal JIP values, and higher instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE_i), due to a lower Gs under ST, unlike cultivars showing lower growth values, which presented worse JIP values and could not adjust their Gs and hence their WUE_i. In this work, we detected at least two cultivars with superior tolerance to ST than the cold tolerant referent Koshihikari. These cultivars could be used as parents or tolerance donors in breeding for new crop varieties. On other hand, positive and significant correlations between data obtained from laboratory and outdoor experiments suggest that laboratory measurements of most of the above mentioned parameters would be useful to predict the response of rice cultivars to ST outdoor.     

Genotypic Variation for Tolerance to Transient Drought During the Reproductive Phase of Brassica rapa

Brassica rapa L. is a genetically diverse parent species of the allotetraploid species, oilseed rape (B. napus) and a potential source of drought tolerance for B. napus. We examined the effect of a 13‐day drought stress period during the early reproductive phase, relative to a well‐watered (WW) control, on subsequent growth and development in nine accessions of B. rapa and one accession of Brassica juncea selected for their wide morphological and genetic diversity. We measured leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, water use, and leaf and bud temperatures during the stress period and aboveground dry weight of total biomass at maturity. Dry weight of seeds and reproductive tissue were not useful measures of drought tolerance due to self‐incompatibility in B. rapa. The relative total biomass (used as the measure of drought tolerance in this study) of the 10 accessions exposed to drought stress ranged from 47 % to 117 % of the WW treatment and was negatively correlated with leaf‐to‐air and bud‐to‐air temperature difference when averaged across the 13‐day stress period. Two wild‐type (B. rapa ssp. sylvestris) accessions had higher relative total and non‐reproductive biomass at maturity and cooler leaves and buds than other types. We conclude that considerable genotypic variation for drought tolerance exists in B. rapa and cooler leaves and buds during a transient drought stress in the early reproductive phase may be a useful screening tool for drought tolerance.     

Is Discrimination of 13C in Potato Leaflets and Tubers an Appropriate Trait to Describe Genotype Responses to Restrictive and Well‐Watered Conditions?

Selection for drought tolerance entails prioritizing plant traits that integrate critical physiological processes occurring during crop growth. Discrimination against ¹³C (?) in leaflets (?_leaflet) and tubers (?_tuber) was compared under two water regimes in two potato‐improved varieties selected to maintain yield under drought conditions (Unica and Sarnav) and one drought susceptible European cultivar (Désirée). In the control treatment, soil water content was kept at field capacity over the whole growth cycle, while in the drought treatment water supply was restricted after tuber initiation (50 % of field capacity). Gas exchange and N content per unit leaf area (N_area) as well as ? were assessed at different stages. Sarnav showed the highest tuber yield in both water conditions, suggesting that yield in the water restriction treatment was largely driven by yield potential in this genotype. Higher stomatal conductance (g_s) and N_area and lower ?_leaflet in well‐watered Sarnav suggested higher photosynthetic capacity. Under water restriction, Sarnav maintained higher g_s indicating that carbon diffusion was a key factor for biomass accumulation under water restriction. Our results suggest the use of ? determined after tuber initiation as an indirect selection indicator for tuber yield under both well‐watered and restricted soil water availability conditions.     

温室环境因子驱动甜瓜水分传输机理分析与模拟

利用人工气候室控制空气温度、相对湿度和光合有效辐射量,根据水量平衡法控制土壤含水率,按照四因素五水平的二次回归正交旋转组合设计,对甜瓜蒸腾量进行模拟,并探讨各因子调控水分传输的机制。基于Jarvis模型建立环境因素驱动的多元非线性气孔导度模型,结合水汽扩散原理建立蒸腾量模型,模型预测精度良好。探究因素交互作用及其耦合调控效应,结果表明:除相对湿度对蒸腾表现为抑制作用,土壤含水率、空气温度和光合有效辐射均对蒸腾具有促进作用;土壤含水率与空气温度的单因素效应相似,随因素水平增加,蒸腾量线性升高;光合有效辐射量驱动蒸腾的单因素效应为开口向下的二次函数,当因素水平超过阈值后,蒸腾量逐渐下降。环境因素在驱动和调控蒸腾过程中均存在密切耦合和反馈效应,土壤含水率与温度对蒸腾调控的耦合效应趋近于平滑曲面,蒸腾量随两因素水平的升高而升高,在试验水平内两因素对蒸腾表现为协同促进效应;空气相对湿度减弱了水汽扩散驱动力,进而抑制温度和土壤含水率对蒸腾的驱动作用,且这种抑制作用随相对湿度的升高而更明显。