Seedlings from four provenances of Jatropha curcas were subjected to 80, 50, and 30% of soil field capacity in potted experiments in order to study their responses to water availability. Our results showed that with the decline of soil water availability, plant growth, biomass accumulation, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration rate (E) decreased, whereas leaf carbon isotope composition (δ13C), leaf pigment contents, and stomatal limitation value increased, while maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry was not affected. Our findings proved that stomatal limitation to photosynthesis dominated in J. curcas under low water availability. The increase of δ13C should be attributed to the decrease in gs and E under the lowest water supply. J. curcas could adapt to low water availability by adjusting its plant size, stomata closure, reduction of E, increasing δ13C, and leaf pigment contents. Moreover, effects of provenance and the interaction with the watering regime were detected in growth and many physiological parameters. The provenance from xeric habitats showed stronger plasticity in the plant size than that from other provenances under drought. The variations may be used as criteria for variety/provenance selection and improvement of J. curcas performance., C. Y. Yin, X. Y. Pang, A. D. Peuke, X. Wang, K. Chen, R. G. Gong., and Seznam literatury
Cuttings of P. przewalski were exposed to two different watering regimes which were watered to 100 and 25 % of field capacity (WW and WS, respectively). Drought stress not only significantly decreased net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (gs), efficiency of photosystem 2 (PS2) (Fv/Fm and yield), and increased intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi) under controlled optimal conditions, but also altered the diurnal changes of gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and WUEi. On the other hand, WS also affected the
PN-photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) response curve. Under drought stress, PN peak appeared earlier (at about 10:30 of local time) than under WW condition (at about 12:30). At midday, there was a depression in PN for WS plants, but not for WW plants, and it could be caused by the whole microclimate, especially high temperature, low relative humidity, and high PAR. There were stomatal and non-stomatal limitations to photosynthesis. Stomatal limitation dominated in the morning, and low PN at midday was caused by both stomatal and non-stomatal limitations, whereas non-stomatal limitation dominated in the afternoon. In addition, drought stress also increased compensation irradiance and dark respiration rate, and decreased saturation irradiance and maximum net photosynthetic rate. Thus drought stress decreased plant assimilation and increased dissimilation through affected gas exchange, the diurnal pattern of gas exchange, and photosynthesis-PAR response curve, thereby reducing plant growth and productivity. and C. Y. Yin, F. Berninger, C. Y. Li.