Abstract
Withania somnifera plants were exposed to drought stress for 23 days. Relative water content (RWC), gaseous exchange, fluorescence parameters, and spectral reflectance changes were monitored under drought stress. Assimilation rate and RWC decreased by 81% and 65%, respectively, during drought exposure of 23 days. Photosynthetic reflectance index (PRI) and water index (WI) showed a decreasing pattern under drought stress and correlated with Amax and RWC. Anthocyanin reflectance index and anthocyanin content increased with drought stress. Similarly, rational among R727, R696, R770, and R731 reflects chlorophyll content and Chl a/b ratio and copes with actual chlorophyll content. Fluorescence changes showed the opening and closing of PSII reaction centers, while absorbance change at 830/875 nm showed activity and energy balance of PSI. Non-photochemical quenching increased under drought, which showed depoxydation of xanthine cycle pigment. Energy balance at the acceptor and donor side of PSI adjusted under drought stress by increasing electron carrying limitation at donor side. Energy balance between PSI and PSII is maintained by increasing cyclic electron flux under mild drought stress. Both protective mechanism depoxydation of xanthine cycle pigment and enhancement of cyclic electron flux reduced or diminished under severe drought stress. Decrease in leaf area and stomatal closure may cause a reduction in transpiration that results into loss of RWC and altered physiological processes. Since fluorescence, absorbance change and spectral reflectance are non-invasive measurements that may be used as indicators for assessing drought tolerance in medicinal plants.
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Abbreviations
- A :
-
Net photosynthesis rate
- ARI :
-
Anthocyanin reflectance index
- CEF :
-
Cyclic electron flow
- CRI :
-
Carotenoid reflectance index
- DW :
-
Dry weight
- E :
-
Transpiration rate
- ETR :
-
Electron transport rate
- EVI :
-
Enhanced vegetation index
- Fv/Fm :
-
Maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII
- FW :
-
Fresh weight
- g s :
-
Stomatal conductance
- mNDVI 705 :
-
Modified red edge normalized difference vegetation index
- NDVI :
-
Normalized difference vegetation index
- NDVI 705 :
-
Red edge normalized difference vegetation index
- OP :
-
Osmotic potential
- PPFD :
-
Photosynthetic photon flux density
- PRI :
-
Photochemical reflectance index
- PS :
-
Photosystem
- RWC :
-
Relative water content
- SIPI :
-
Structure independent pigment index
- SR :
-
Simple ratio index
- TW :
-
Turgid weight
- VOG :
-
The Vogelmann red edge index
- WI :
-
Water index
- Y(II):
-
Photochemical quantum yield of PSII
- Y(NA):
-
Fraction of P700 reaction centers which cannot be oxidized at given state or photochemical quantum yield of PSI due to acceptor side limitations
- Y(ND):
-
Fraction of overall P700 that is oxidized in a given state or photochemical quantum yield of PSI due to donor side limitations
- Y(NPQ):
-
Photochemical quantum yield due to regulated energy dissipation
- λ :
-
Red edge position
- λ RE :
-
Reflectance at red edge position
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Acknowledgements
Research in CSIR-CIMAP laboratory was supported by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi, India (Grant No. PDF/2015/00088, GAP 347). RS is grateful to DST, New Delhi, India for National Postdoctoral Fellowship. The authors would like to thank the Director CSIR-NBRI for allowing the authors to take all the physiological measurements in plant physiology lab of CSIR-NBRI.
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Singh, R. Spectral reflectance and fluorescence is a rapid, non-destructive tool for drought tolerance monitoring in Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. Protoplasma 260, 1421–1435 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-023-01859-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-023-01859-1