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Water relations and photosynthesis in Cucumis sativus L. leaves under salt stress

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Hydroponically grown cucumber plants were exposed to 14-d period of salinity (0, 50, 100 mM NaCl). NaCl caused reduction in the relative water content in the leaves. The Na+ content increased and the K+ content decreased. The net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were markedly decreased by all of the salt treatments. Salinity decreased also the maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem 2 (PS 2) determined as the variable to maximum fluorescence ratio, the photochemical quantum yield of PS 2 and the photochemical fluorescence quenching, while the non-photochemical quenching increased. Above results indicate that NaCl affects photosynthesis through both stomata closure and non-stomatal factors.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

chlorophyll

E:

transpiration rate

ETC:

electron transport chain

F0 :

chlorophyll a fluorescence in dark-adapted plants when all PS 2 reaction centres are fully opened

Fm :

maxiumum fluorescence

Fv :

variable fluorescence

Fv/Fm :

maximum (potential) quantum efficiency of PS 2

ΦPS2 :

photochemical quantum efficiency (yield) of PS 2

gs :

stomatal conductance

PN :

net photosynthetic rate

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

PS 2:

photosystem 2

qN:

non-photochemical quenching coefficient

qP:

photochemical quenching coefficient

RuBP:

ribulose-1,5-biphosphate

RWC:

relative water content

WUE:

water use efficiency (PN/E)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Plant Biology, Department of Plant Physiology, University of Wroclaw, ul. Kanonia 6/8, PL-50328, Wroclaw, Poland

    P. Stępień & G. Kłbus

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  1. P. Stępień
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  2. G. Kłbus
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Correspondence to P. Stępień.

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Stępień, P., Kłbus, G. Water relations and photosynthesis in Cucumis sativus L. leaves under salt stress. Biol Plant 50, 610–616 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-006-0096-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-006-0096-z

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