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Effect of aluminum toxicity and phosphorus deficiency on the growth and photosynthesis of oil tea (Camellia oleifera Abel.) seedlings in acidic red soils

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Abstract

Wild and cultivated varieties of Camellia oleifera Abel. were studied for the response of their photosynthetic apparatus to Al toxicity and low-P stress in pot experiments with medium of acidic red soil. The effect was measured using physiological processes (growth, photosynthesis, chlorophyll a fluorescence), and pigment contents. The results showed that Al toxicity and low-P stress affected the seedlings’ growth and leaves’ photosynthesis, and the differences could be found between the two varieties. Lime plus P fertilizer treatment led to higher increase in the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) in the cultivar than in the wild variety. Pn increase was positively related to the increase of stomatal conductance (gs) and negatively correlated to intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) in both varieties. The maximum PSII quantum yield (Fv/Fm), the efficiency of excitation energy capture by open PSII reaction centers (Fv’/Fm’), the photochemical quenching (qP) and the efficiency of open PSII centers (ΦPSII) significantly increased almost in all the treatment groups of both varieties, with the exception of an insignificant change in qP value for P1Al1 group of cultivar. The insensitive qP and lower Pn for cultivar indicate a higher photosynthetic efficiency for the wild variety, though the ΦPSII was not significant between the two varieties. The pigment contents of oil tea seedlings under treatments changed significantly when lime and P were added, especially the Car/Chl ratio, suggesting carotenoid plays the role of photoprotection under high-Al and low-P stresses.

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Abbreviations

Al:

Aluminum

P:

Phosphorus

DW:

Dry weight

Chl:

Chlorophyll

Car:

Carotenoid

Pn:

Net photosynthetic rate

Ci:

Intracellular CO2 concentration

Gs:

Stomatal conductance

PSII:

Photosystem II

Fo, Fm, Fv:

Minimal, maximal and variable fluorescence yields

Fm′, Fv′, Fs:

Maximal, variable and steady-state fluorescence yield in a light-adapted state

Fv/Fm:

The maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII

Fv′/Fm′:

The efficiency of excitation energy capture by open PSII reaction centre

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density

ФPSII :

Relative quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry

qP:

Photochemical quenching

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Acknowledgments

We would like to express our appreciation to the National Outstanding Youth Scientist Foundation (No.40725010), the Natural Science Foundation of China (No.30760108), the Science and Technology Foundation of the Jiangxi Education Department (No.GJJ09340) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jinggangshan University (No. JZ0817) for their financial support in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrosciences, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Nanjing University, 210093, Nanjing, China

    Genhe He, Jingfei Zhang & Jichun Wu

  2. School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Resource of Jiangxi Education Department, Jinggangshan University, 343009, Ji’an, China

    Genhe He & Xuehua Hu

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  1. Genhe He
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  2. Jingfei Zhang
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  3. Xuehua Hu
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  4. Jichun Wu
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Correspondence to Genhe He or Jingfei Zhang.

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Communicated by Z. Gombos.

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He, G., Zhang, J., Hu, X. et al. Effect of aluminum toxicity and phosphorus deficiency on the growth and photosynthesis of oil tea (Camellia oleifera Abel.) seedlings in acidic red soils. Acta Physiol Plant 33, 1285–1292 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-010-0659-7

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