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Photosynthesis and water relations of well-watered orange plants as affected by winter and summer conditions

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate how the summer and winter conditions affect the photosynthesis and water relations of well-watered orange trees, considering the diurnal changes in leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence, and leaf water potential (Ψ) of potted-plants growing in a subtropical climate. The diurnal pattern of photosynthesis in young citrus trees was not significantly affected by the environmental changes when compared the summer and winter seasons. However, citrus plants showed higher photosynthetic performance in summer, when plants fixed 2.9 times more CO2 during the diurnal period than in the winter season. Curiously, the winter conditions were more favorable to photosynthesis of citrus plants, when considering the air temperature (< 29 °C), leaf-to-air vapor pressure difference (< 2.4 kPa) and photon flux density (maximum values near light saturation) during the diurnal period. Therefore, low night temperature was the main environmental element changing the photosynthetic performance and water relations of well-watered plants during winter. Lower whole-plant hydraulic conductance, lower shoot hydration and lower stomatal conductance were noticed during winter when compared to the summer season. In winter, higher ratio between the apparent electron transport rate and leaf CO2 assimilation was verified in afternoon, indicating reduction in electron use efficiency by photosynthesis. The high radiation loading in the summer season did not impair the citrus photochemistry, being photoprotective mechanisms active. Such mechanisms were related to increases in the heat dissipation of excessive light energy at the PSII level and to other metabolic processes consuming electrons, which impede the citrus photoinhibition under high light conditions.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

chlorophyll

C i :

intercellular CO2 concentration

E :

transpiration

E 14 :

transpiration at 14:30 h

ETR:

apparent electron transport rate

F :

steady-state fluorescence yield in light-adapted tissues

F M :

maximum fluorescence yield in dark-adapted tissues

FM′:

maximum fluorescence yield in light-adapted tissues

F0 :

minimum fluorescence yield in dark-adapted tissues

F0′:

fluorescence yield in light-adapted tissues after far-red illumination

FV :

variable fluorescence yield in dark-adapted tissues

FV/FM :

maximum PSII quantum yield

g S :

stomatal conductance

KL :

whole-plant leaf specific hydraulic conductance

NPQ:

non-photochemical quenching

P N :

leaf CO2 assimilation

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

PSI:

photosystem I

PSII:

photosystem II

qP :

photochemical quenching

T AIR :

air temperature

T LEAF :

leaf temperature

VPD:

leaf-to-air vapor pressure difference

WUE:

water use efficiency

ΔF:

variable fluorescence yield in light-adapted tissues

ΔF/FM′:

effective PSII quantum yield

ΔΨ:

variation of leaf water potential between pre-dawn and 14:30 h

Ψ:

leaf water potential

ΨW :

leaf water potential at pre-dawn

ΨW14 :

leaf water potential at 14:30 h

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Plant Physiology, Center for Research and Development in Ecophysiology and Biophysics, Agronomic Institute, P.O. Box 28, 13012-970, Campinas/SP, Brazil

    R.V. Ribeiro & E.C. Machado

  2. Department of Botany, Federal University of Pernambuco, 50670-901, Recife/PE, Brazil

    M.G. Santos

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of Sao Paulo, P.O. Box 9, 13418-900, Piracicaba/SP, Brazil

    R.F. Oliveira

Authors
  1. R.V. Ribeiro
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  2. E.C. Machado
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  3. M.G. Santos
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  4. R.F. Oliveira
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Correspondence to R.V. Ribeiro.

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Ribeiro, R., Machado, E., Santos, M. et al. Photosynthesis and water relations of well-watered orange plants as affected by winter and summer conditions. Photosynthetica 47, 215–222 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-009-0035-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-009-0035-2

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