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Photosynthetic response of tetraploid and hexaploid wheat to water stress

  • Original Paper
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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Photosynthetic characteristics of ear and flag leaves of wheat species, tetraploid Triticum dicoccoides Kom and hexaploid Bima1, were studied in plants grown under well-watered (WW) and water-stressed (WS) conditions. Compared to ears, flag leaves exhibited higher photosynthetic rate (P N) at the filling stage, but more severe decrease under WS. P N in the tetraploid wheat ear remained higher than that in the hexaploid wheat during the grain-filling stage. Water stress decreased PN in both the organs; this decline was caused by a reduction in Rubisco activity, not by drought-induced stomatal limitation. Tetraploid wheat ears exhibited higher relative water content and water-use efficiency than that of hexaploid wheat, under WS. The change in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity and carbon isotope composition indicated the absence of C4 metabolism in the ears of both species under both conditions. The improved performance of the tetraploid wheat ears under WS was associated with better water relations.

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Abbreviations

C i :

intercellular CO2 concentration

C o :

ambient CO2 concentration

Car:

carotenoids

Chl:

chloroplast

DAA:

days after anthesis

E :

transpiration rate

g s :

stomatal conductance

HS:

heading stage

L s :

stomatal limitation

MDH:

malate dehydrogenase

PEPC:

phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

RWC:

relative water content

RuBP:

ribulose-1,5- bisphosphate

WUE:

water-use efficiency

WS:

water-stressed

WW:

well-watered

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Science and Technology Supporting Programs (2015BAD22B01), the 111 project of the Chinese Education Ministry (B12007), and Special Funds of Scientific Research Programs of State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau (A314021403-C5).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Y. P. Li, Y. Y. Li, D. Y. Li & S. Q. Zhang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    S. W. Wang & S. Q. Zhang

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  1. Y. P. Li
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Li, Y.P., Li, Y.Y., Li, D.Y. et al. Photosynthetic response of tetraploid and hexaploid wheat to water stress. Photosynthetica 55, 454–466 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-016-0659-y

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