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Effects of water stress and rewatering on photosynthesis, root activity, and yield of cotton with drip irrigation under mulch

  • Original Papers
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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Soil water deficit is a major limitation to agricultural productivity in arid regions. Leaf photosynthesis can quickly recover after rewatering and remains at a higher level for a longer period, thus increasing crop yield and water-use efficiency (WUE). We tested our hypothesis that leaf photosynthesis and root activity of water-stressed cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants could quickly recover after rewatering at a certain growth stage and it should not influence a cotton yield but increase WUE. Treatments in this study included two degrees of water stress: mild water stress (V1) and moderate water stress (V2) imposed at one of four cotton growth stages [i.e., S1 (from the full budding to early flowering stage), S2 (from early flowering to full flowering), S3 (from full flowering to full bolling), and S4 (from full bolling to boll-opening)]. The soil water content before and after the water stress was the same as that in the control treatment (CK, 70–75% of field capacity). Water deficit significantly reduced the leaf water potential, net photosynthetic rate, and stomatal conductance in cotton. The extent of the decline was greater in S2V2 treatment compared to others. Water deficit also reduced root activity, but the extent of inhibition varied in dependence on soil depth and duration. When plants were subjected to S1V1, the root activity in the 20–100 cm depth recovered rapidly and even exceeded CK one day after rewatering. An overcompensation response was observed for both photosynthesis and aboveground dry mass within one to three days after rewatering. Compared with the CK, S1V1 showed no significant effect on the yield but it increased total WUE and irrigation WUE. These results suggest that even a short-term water stress during the S1, S2 and S4 stages mitigated, with respect to the root activity, the negative effect of drought and enhanced leaf photosynthesis compensatory effects of rewatering in order to increase cotton WUE with drip irrigation under mulch in arid areas.

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Abbreviations

CK:

70% of field capacity

DAP:

days after planting

DAR:

days after rewatering

g s :

stomatal conductance

OD:

optical density

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

S1 :

from full budding to early flowering stage

S2 :

from early flowering to full flowering stage

S3 :

from full flowering to full bolling stage

S4 :

from full bolling to boll-opening stage

V1 :

mild water stress

V2 :

moderate water stress

WUE:

water-use efficiency

WUEET :

total water-use efficiency

WUEI :

irrigation water-use efficiency

ψw :

water potential

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Oasis Eco-Agriculture, Xinjiang Production and Construction Group, Shihezi University, 832003, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China

    H. H. Luo, Y. L. Zhang & W. F. Zhang

Authors
  1. H. H. Luo
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  2. Y. L. Zhang
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  3. W. F. Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to W. F. Zhang.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31460325 and U1203283), the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (2014BB009) and the Pairing Program of Shihezi University with Eminent Scholar in Elite University (SDJDZ201510).

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Luo, H.H., Zhang, Y.L. & Zhang, W.F. Effects of water stress and rewatering on photosynthesis, root activity, and yield of cotton with drip irrigation under mulch. Photosynthetica 54, 65–73 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-015-0165-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-015-0165-7

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