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Accounting for the decrease of photosystem photochemical efficiency with increasing irradiance to estimate quantum yield of leaf photosynthesis

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Abstract

Maximum quantum yield for leaf CO2 assimilation under limiting light conditions (Φ CO2LL) is commonly estimated as the slope of the linear regression of net photosynthetic rate against absorbed irradiance over a range of low-irradiance conditions. Methodological errors associated with this estimation have often been attributed either to light absorptance by non-photosynthetic pigments or to some data points being beyond the linear range of the irradiance response, both causing an underestimation of Φ CO2LL. We demonstrate here that a decrease in photosystem (PS) photochemical efficiency with increasing irradiance, even at very low levels, is another source of error that causes a systematic underestimation of Φ CO2LL. A model method accounting for this error was developed, and was used to estimate Φ CO2LL from simultaneous measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence on leaves using various combinations of species, CO2, O2, or leaf temperature levels. The conventional linear regression method under-estimated Φ CO2LL by ca. 10–15 %. Differences in the estimated Φ CO2LL among measurement conditions were generally accounted for by different levels of photorespiration as described by the Farquhar-von Caemmerer–Berry model. However, our data revealed that the temperature dependence of PSII photochemical efficiency under low light was an additional factor that should be accounted for in the model.

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Abbreviations

A :

Net rate of leaf photosynthesis

C a :

CO2 level in the ambient air

C c :

CO2 level in the carboxylation sites of Rubisco

e− :

Electron

FvCB:

Farquhar, von Caemmerer, Berry

I abs :

Absorbed irradiance by leaf photosynthetic pigments

I inc :

Incident irradiance

MPF:

Multiphase flash

PS:

Photosystem

R d :

Rate of leaf respiration in the light or ‘day respiration’

R dk :

Rate of leaf respiration in the darkness

RuBP:

Ribulose-1,5-biphosphate

s′:

Slope factor for linear regression of A versus I inc Φ 2/4

s :

Slope factor for linear regression of A versus I inc Φ 2/4 under non-photorespiratory conditions

S c/o :

Relative CO2/O2 specificity of Rubisco

SP:

Single saturation pulse

β :

Ratio of I abs to I inc

ρ 2 :

The fraction of I abs that is partitioned to PSII

Φ 1 :

Photochemical efficiency of PSI

Φ 1LL :

Photochemical efficiency of PSI under strictly limiting light

Φ 2 :

Photochemical efficiency of PSII

Φ 2LL :

Photochemical efficiency of PSII under strictly limiting light

Φ CO2LL :

Quantum yield of photosynthetic CO2 uptake

Φ CO2LL(inc) :

Quantum yield of photosynthetic CO2 uptake on the basis of incident light

Γ * :

CO2 compensation point in the absence of R d

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Acknowledgments

This project was partially carried out within the research program of BioSolar Cells, co-financed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Xinyou Yin, Daniel W. Belay, Peter E. L. van der Putten & Paul C. Struik

  2. Haramaya University, P.O. Box 138, Dire-Dawa, Ethiopia

    Daniel W. Belay

Authors
  1. Xinyou Yin
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  2. Daniel W. Belay
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  3. Peter E. L. van der Putten
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  4. Paul C. Struik
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Correspondence to Xinyou Yin.

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Yin, X., Belay, D.W., van der Putten, P.E.L. et al. Accounting for the decrease of photosystem photochemical efficiency with increasing irradiance to estimate quantum yield of leaf photosynthesis. Photosynth Res 122, 323–335 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-014-0030-8

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