In order to elucidate the effects of chilling-stress at night on photosystem 2 (PS2) efficiency under dim irradiance (DI), mango leaves were chilled to varied extent (8-3 °C) and for varied duration (0-12 h) in growth cabinets in the dark, and then exposed to DI (20 μmol m-2 s-1 PPFD) at each chilling-temperature for 1 h. Chilling in the dark had little effect on Fv/Fm of mango leaves. But both the extent and duration of chilling pre-treatments significantly affected Fv'/Fm' when leaves were exposed to DI. This down-regulation of PS2 efficiency was closely related to xanthophyll de-epoxidation, assessed as photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and calculated from leaf spectral reflectance [(R531 - R570)/(R531 + R570)], and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The down-regulation of PS2 is a defence mechanism initiated at predawn in winter to alleviate the damage of PS2 by the sudden and strong irradiation at sunrise. Mango leaves, transferred suddenly from warm and dark room to DI and chilling showed a slight down-regulation of PS2 efficiency, in spite of an increased xanthophyll de-epoxidation. This might have been due to the unavailability of some cofactors required for NPQ. and J.-H. Weng ... [et al.].
This study aimed to determine the photosynthetic performance and differences in chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) parameters between Eulophia dentata and its companion species Bletilla formosana and Saccharum spontaneum when subjected to different photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFDs). Leaf surfaces were then illuminated with 50, 100 (low PPFDs), 300, 500, 800 (moderate PPFDs); 1,000; 1,500; and 2,000 (high PPFDs) μmol m-2.s-1, and the ChlF parameters were measured during the whole process. Increasing nonphotochemical quenching of ChlF and decreasing potential quantum efficiency of PSII, actual quantum efficiency of PSII, and quantum efficiency ratio of PSII in dark recovery from 0-60 min were observed in all leaves. A significant and negative relationship was detected between energy-dependent quenching (qE) and photoinhibition percent in three species under specific PPFD conditions, whereas a significant and positive relationship was detected between photoinhibitory quenching (qI) and photoinhibition percent. The qE and qI can be easily measured in the field and provide useful ecological indexes for E. dentata species restoration, habitat creation, and monitoring.