Abstract
Jatropha curcas has been considered as a potential oil source for biodiesel production in tropical and subtropical areas. The relationships between water deficit-induced nocturnal acidification and leaf succulence, gas exchange rates and water relations in leaves of J. curcas were accessed in a greenhouse experiment. Two genotypes, from regions of Brazil with contrasting climate (CNPAE183, from a dry and hot tropical climate and CNPAE191, from a humid subtropical climate), were maintained under full irrigation or were subjected to water deficit for 49 days followed by recovery for 7 days. Leaf relative water content decreased with water deficit from 85.4 to 77.5%, in both genotypes. Pre-dawn leaf water potential decreased from − 0.5 MPa in irrigated plants to − 1.0 MPa (in CNPAE183) and to − 0.7 MPa (in CNPAE191). Slow and less intense decrease of leaf gas exchange in CNPAE191 than in CNPAE183 suggests a high effective water use under water deficit in the former. Leaf nocturnal acidification increased 4.3-fold in water deficit plants of both genotypes and a positive correlation between nocturnal acidification and leaf succulence, expressed as fresh mass per dry mass, was observed. Water deficit-induced nocturnal acid accumulation and a positive correlation between nocturnal acidification and leaf succulence were thoroughly demonstrated. While such nocturnal acidification may be related to osmotic adjustment, its correlation with leaf succulence suggests a weak CAM-cycling activity in leaves of J. curcas which, along with other water-conserving mechanisms, may help to explain the widely reported drought tolerance of this species.
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Acknowledgements
Financial support for the investigation was provided by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, CNPq (Grants 486218/2011-2) and Fundacão de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia—FAPESB (Grants APP0108/2009). Fábio P. Gomes, Alex-Alan F. de Almeida and Marcelo S. Mielke gratefully acknowledge the CNPq, Brazil, for the concession of a fellowship of scientific productivity.
Funding
Financial support for the investigation was provided by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, CNPq (Grants 486218/2011-2) and Fundacão de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia – FAPESB (Grants APP0108/2009).
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Gomes, F.P., de Almeida, AA.F., Mielke, M.S. et al. Nocturnal acidification in leaves of two genotypes of Jatropha curcas L., subjected to soil water deficit. Plant Physiol. Rep. 26, 220–230 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-021-00576-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-021-00576-2