Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cotton leaf gas exchange responses to irradiance and leaf aging

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) net photosynthetic rate (PN) decreased with leaf age and low irradiance, and the interaction of these factors might lead to decreased yields mainly in crops with a high plant density. Shade decreased leaf gas exchange, mainly in young leaves, which did not recover after exposure to an increasing irradiance. Old leaves reached PN saturation at a lower irradiance than young leaves. Also stomatal conductance decreased with leaf age and shading. Intercellular CO2 concentration and irradiance were inversely related. The responses of PN to irradiance decreased as leaf aged, and it did not interact with shade suggesting that self-shading is not primarily responsible for the decreased photosynthetic rate in older cotton leaves.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ca :

atmospheric CO2 concentration

ci :

intercellular CO2 concentration

gs :

stomatal conductance

PAR:

photosynthetically active radiation

PN :

net photosynthetic rate

Rubisco:

ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

References

  • Bauer, P.J., Sadler, E.J., Frederick, J.R.: Intermittent shade effect on gas exchange of cotton leaves in the humid southeastern USA. — Agron. J. 89: 163–166, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brodrick, R., Bang, M.P., Milroy, S.P., Hammer, G.L.: Physiological determinants of high yielding ultra-narrow row cotton: canopy development and radiation use efficiency. — Field Crops Res. 148: 86–94, 2013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Čaňová, I., Ďurkovič, J., Hladká, D.: Stomatal and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics in European beech cultivars during leaf development. — Biol. Plant. 52: 577–581, 2008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Constable, G., Rawson, H.: Effect of leaf position, expansion and age on photosynthesis, transpiration and water use efficiency of cotton. — Funct. Plant Biol. 7: 89–100, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dauzat, J., Clouvel, P., Luquet, D., Martin, P.: Using virtual plants to analyse the light-foraging efficiency of a lowdensity cotton crop. — Ann. Bot. 101: 1153–1166, 2008.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar, G.D., Sharkey, T.D.: Stomatal conductance and photosynthesis. — Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 33: 317–345, 1982.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Greer, D.H., Weedon, M.M., Weston, C.: Reductions in biomass accumulation, photosynthesis in situ and net carbon balance are the costs of protecting Vitis vinifera 'semillon’ grapevines from heat stress with shade covering. — AoB Plants doi:10.1093/aobpla/plr023, 2011.

  • Guinn G., Brummett D.L.: Leaf age, decline in photosynthesis, and changes in abscisic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, and cytokinin in cotton leaves. — Field Crops Res. 32: 269–275, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jibran, R., Hunter, D., Dijkwel, P.: Hormonal regulation of leaf senescence through integration of developmental and stress signals. — Plant mol. Biol. 82: 547–561, 2013.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kakani, V.G., Reddy, K.R., Zhao, D., Gao, W.: Senescence and hyperspectral reflectance of cotton leaves exposed to ultraviolet-B radiation and carbon dioxide. — Physiol. Plant. 121: 250–257, 2004.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Landivar, J.A., Reddy, K.R., Hodges, H.F.: Physiological simulation of cotton growth and yield. — In: Stewart, J., Oosterhuis, D.M., Heitholt, J.J., Mauney, J. (ed.): Physiology of Cotton. Pp. 319–331. Springer, New York 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu, C., Zhang, J.: Modifications in photosystem II photochemistry in senescent leaves of maize plants. — J. exp. Bot. 49: 1671–1679, 1998.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Messinger, S.M., Buckley, T.N., Mott, K.A.: Evidence for involvement of photosynthetic processes in the stomatal response to CO2. — Plant Physiol. 140: 771–778, 2006.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Milroy, S.P., Bange, M.P., Sadras. V.O.: Profiles of leaf nitrogen and light in reproductive canopies of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). — Ann. Bot. 87: 325–333, 2001.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen, K.L., Moreshet, S., Fuchs, M.: Stomatal responses of field-grown cotton to radiation and soil moisture. — Agron J. 83: 1059–1065, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pettersen, R.I., Torre, S., Gislerød, H.R.: Effects of leaf aging and light duration on photosynthetic characteristics in a cucumber canopy. — Sci. Hort. 125: 82–87, 2010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pettigrew, W.T.: Cotton genotypic variation in the photosynthetic response to irradiance. — Photosynthetica 42: 567–571, 2004.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saeki, T.: Light relations in plant communities. — In: Evans, L.T. (ed.): Environmental Control of Plant Growth. Pp. 79–94. Academic Press, New York — London 1963.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sassenrath-Cole, G.F., Lu, G., Hodges, H.F., Mckinion, J.M.: Photon flux density versus leaf senescence in determining photosynthetic efficiency and capacity of Gossypium hirsutum L. leaves. — Environ. exp. Bot. 36: 439–446, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Šesták, Z., Šiffel, P.: Leaf-age related differences in chlorophyll fluorescence. — Photosynthetica 33: 347–369, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, J.E., Longstreth, D.J.: Leaf expansion and carbon assimilation in cotton leaves grown at two photosynthetic photon flux densities. — Amer. J. Bot. 81: 711–717, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Špundová, M., Slouková, K., Hunková M., Nauš, J.: Plant shading increases lipid peroxidation and intensifies senescence-induced changes in photosynthesis and activities of ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase in wheat. — Photosynthetica 43: 403–409, 2005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, C.X., Qi, H., Hao, J.J., Miao, L., Wang, J., Wang, Y., Liu, M., Chen, L.J.: Single leaves photosynthetic characteristics of two insect-resistant transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) varieties in response to light. — Photosynthetica 47: 399–408, 2009.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taiz, L., Zeiger, E. (ed.): Plant Physiology. Fifth Ed. — Sinauer Associates, Stamford 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warren, C.R.: Stand aside stomata, another actor deserves centre stage: the forgotten role of the internal conductance to CO2 transfer. — J. exp. Bot. 59: 1475–1487, 2008.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wells, R.: Light and the cotton plant. — In: Oosterhuis, D. (ed.): Stress Physiology in Cotton. Pp. 73–83. The Cotton Foundation, Cordova 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells, R.: Response of leaf ontogeny and photosynthetic activity to reproductive growth in cotton. — Plant Physiol. 87: 274–279. 1988.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wullschleger, S.D., Oosterhuis, D.M.: Photosynthetic and respiratory activity of fruiting forms within the cotton canopy. — Plant Physiol. 94: 463–469, 1990.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, L.-K., Hsiao, T.C.: Predicted versus measured photosynthetic water-use efficiency of crop stands under dynamically changing field environments. — J. exp. Bot. 55: 2395–2411, 2004.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng, B., Xu, X., Zhou, S., Zhu, C., Tang, C.: Effects of temperature and light on photosynthetic heterosis of an upland cotton hybrid cultivar. — Crop Sci. 52: 282–291, 2012.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, H., Sharifi, M., Nobel, P.: Photosynthetic characteristics of sun versus shade plants of Encelia farinosa as affected by photosynthetic photon flux density, intercellular CO2 concentration, leaf water potential, and leaf temperature. — Funct. Plant Biol. 22: 833–841, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, D., Oosterhuis, D.: Cotton responses to shade at different growth stages: nonstructural carbohydrate composition. — Crop Sci. 38: 1196–1203, 1998a.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, D., Oosterhuis, D.: Physiologic and yield responses of shaded cotton to the plant growth regulator PGR-IV. — J. Plant Growth Regul. 17: 47–52, 1998b.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, X., Li, Y., Zhang, X., Shen, S.: Difference of photosynthetic characteristics of different height leaves in the cotton flower-boll development phase in Huaibei area. — Trans. atm. Sci 32: 673–76, 2009.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mato Grosso Cotton Institute, Primavera do Leste, MT, 78850-00, Brazil

    F. R. Echer

  2. College of Agricultural Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, 18610-307, Brazil

    C. A. Rosolem

Authors
  1. F. R. Echer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. A. Rosolem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. R. Echer.

Additional information

Acknowledgments: We acknowledge CAPES (the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Improvement of Higher Education) for granting a PhD scholarship to the first author.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Echer, F.R., Rosolem, C.A. Cotton leaf gas exchange responses to irradiance and leaf aging. Biol Plant 59, 366–372 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-015-0484-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-015-0484-3

Additional key-words

Search

Navigation