Abstract
Turnip (Brassica rapa L.) plants were grown in Perlite with low (< 2.5 μM) or adequate (25 μM) boron supply under well-watered and drought conditions for 12 weeks. Dry mass of leaves and roots was reduced under drought by about 61 and 56 % in plants supplied adequately with B, while up to 84 and 74 % under B starvation. Drought reduced B content by about 70 and 82 % for B-sufficient and B-deficient plants, respectively. According to the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, the photosynthesis processes conserved their normal activities under low B supply in well-watered plants, while a serious damage to photosystem 2 occurred under drought stress. Stomatal limitation was the most important cause for a 17 % lower net photosynthetic rate (PN) of drought stressed B-sufficient plants. In B-deficient plants, however, both stomatal and non-stomatal limitations were involved in 53 % reduction of PN. Low B supply reduced strongly leaf water potential.
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Abbreviations
- Chl:
-
chlorophyll
- E:
-
transpiration rate
- ETR:
-
electron transport rate
- F0 :
-
initial fluorescence of dark adapted leaves
- F′0 :
-
initial fluorescence of light adapted leaves
- Fm :
-
maximum fluorescence of dark adapted leaves
- F′m :
-
maximum fluorescence of light adapted leaves
- Fs :
-
steady-state fluorescence of light adapted leaves
- Fv :
-
variable fluorescence of dark adapted leaves
- gs :
-
stomatal conductance
- PFD:
-
photon flux density
- PN :
-
net photosynthetic rate
- qnN:
-
non-photochemical quenching
- qP:
-
photochemical quenching
- RCs:
-
reaction centers
- ΦPS2 :
-
effective quantum yield of PS 2
- ψs :
-
osmotic potential
- ψw :
-
water potential
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Hajiboland, R., Farhanghi, F. Effect of low boron supply in turnip plants under drought stress. Biol Plant 55, 775–778 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-011-0186-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-011-0186-4