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Comparative photosynthetic attributes of emmer and modern wheats in response to water and nitrogen supply

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

A field study was conducted with the aim to elucidate photosynthetic responses of five emmer hulled wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum) accessions to 30 (N-limited) and 100 kg(N) ha–1 (N-sufficient) conditions at control and drought stress (irrigation after 30–40% and 60–70% depletion of available soil water, respectively). Chlorophyll (Chl) a and Chl b concentrations of the emmer wheats remained unchanged but net photosynthetic rate and dry mass increased and decreased, respectively, when received a sufficient amount of N. Smaller drought-induced decreases in Chl concentration, membrane stability index, and dry mass were concomitant to a greater decrease in intercellular CO2 concentration of emmer compared to the durum (Triticum turgidum) and bread wheats (Triticum aestivum). The lack of negative effect of insufficient N on Chl concentration and dry mass of emmer wheat suggests that this type of wheat possesses an obvious potential for organic farming.

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Abbreviations

ASW:

available soil water

Cars:

carotenoids

Chl:

chlorophyll

C i :

intercellular CO2 concentration

E :

transpiration rate

Fv/Fm :

maximal quantum efficiency of PSII

gs:

stomatal conductance to the CO2

LAI:

leaf area index

LSD:

least significant difference

M c :

mesophyll conductance

modern wheats:

free-threshing durum and bread wheats

MSI:

membrane stability index

N:

nitrogen

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SDM:

plant aboveground dry mass

WUE:

water-use efficiency

WUEi :

intrinsic water-use efficiency

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran

    M. Vaghar & P. Ehsanzadeh

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  1. M. Vaghar
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  2. P. Ehsanzadeh
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Correspondence to P. Ehsanzadeh.

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Acknowledgements: Financial support for conducting this study has been granted by the Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran.

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Vaghar, M., Ehsanzadeh, P. Comparative photosynthetic attributes of emmer and modern wheats in response to water and nitrogen supply. Photosynthetica 56, 1224–1234 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-018-0825-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-018-0825-5

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