Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Pearson) plants were grown in growth chambers for 25 days with cadmium (Cd) and then exposed briefly to ozone (O3). Gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and pigment composition were analysed in leaves at the end of the treatment to assess the effects of a single pollutant and their combination on photosynthesis. The CO2 assimilation rate was dramatically reduced in plants subjected to the combined treatment, while the single effect of Cd appeared less severe than that of O3. The decline of CO2 photoassimilation found in all
O3-exposed plants was attributed to both stomatal and nonstomatal limitations. Tomato plants seemed to detoxify Cd to a great extent, but this resulted in growth suppression. In response to O3 exposure, the plants protected their photosystems by heat dissipation of excess energy via the xanthophyll cycle. Cd combined with O3 affected adversely this cycle resulting in an increase in photosynthetic performance under the same experimental light conditions., E. Degl’Innocenti, A. Castagna, A. Ranieri, L. Guidi., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Tomato meets the dietary nutrient and antioxidant requirements of diverse populations. Being a C3 crop and an important vegetable, it is likely to be influenced by increased CO2 concentrations under climate change situation. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of elevated CO2 on overall physiology, water relations, growth, yield, and fruit quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) cv. Arka Ashish. Plants were grown at elevated CO2 [550 (EC550) and 700 (EC700) ppm of CO2] in open top chambers. Increased assimilation rate, decreased stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were observed at elevated CO2 (EC) concentrations. Reduced leaf osmotic potential and increased water potential were observed at EC compared with the control (380 ppm of CO2) in flowering and fruiting stages. Lower total chlorophyll content was recorded at EC700. Plant height was significantly higher at EC550 compared with EC700. Higher number of branches was observed at EC700 as compared with plants grown at EC550 and the control. Leaf area was lower at EC700 compared with EC550 but specific leaf mass was higher at EC700. Due to higher leaf dry mass and root dry mass, the plants grown at EC700 exhibited higher total dry mass compared to EC550 and the control. Increased number of flowers and fruits together with higher fruit set led to higher fruit yield at both EC concentrations. The highest yield increase was observed at EC700. The fruits showed a lower content of phenols, flavonoids, ferric reducing antioxidant potential, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity in plants grown at EC as compared with the control. The ascorbic acid content was high at both EC700 and EC550. Carotenoids and lycopene content was low at EC700 compared to higher content observed at EC550 and the control., H. Mamatha, N. K. Srinivasa Rao, R. H. Laxman, K. S. Shivashankara, R. M. Bhatt, K. C. Pavithra., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The microstructure of leaves and ultrastructure of chloroplasts were examined in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) plants treated with elevated temperature. Plants were exposed to 35°C for 30 d after florescence. The plants grown continuously under 25°C served as controls. Compared with the controls, the net photosynthetic rate (PN) in stressed plants decreased significantly. Stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentrations, the rate of transpiration, and the limitation of stomatal conductance showed that the decrease in PN was caused mainly by nonstomatal restrictions. Meanwhile, stomata density increased significantly in the stressed plants. The stomata status of opening and closing became disorganized with a prolonged 35°C exposure. The damage of chloroplast membrane occurred earlier and was more serious in the plants under elevated temperature. At the same time, the thylakoids were loosely distributed with lesser grana, but the number of lipid droplets increased in chloroplasts. The number of starch grains in chloroplasts increased first and then decreased. In addition, the length of the main nerve in leaves increased and the main vein showed distortion in the plants stressed by 35°C. An increase was observed in the number of cells on the abaxial side of the main vein and these cells were overly congregated. The thickness of a vertical section became thinner in the stressed leaves. The cells of the upper epidermis thinned, and the ratio of palisade tissue to spongy tissue decreased. Generally, the photosynthetic apparatus of tomato changed significantly and the changed chloroplast ultrastructure might be one of the important reasons that caused the decrease of PN under 35°C., J. Zhang, X. D. Jiang, T. L. Li, X. J. Cao., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The crop sensitivity to ozone (O3) is affected by the timing of the O3 exposure, by the O3 concentration, and by the crop age. To determine the physiological response to the acute ozone stress, tomato plants were exposed to O3 at two growth stages. In Experiment I (Exp. I), O3 (500 μg m-3) was applied to 30-d-old plants (PL30). In Experiment II (Exp. II), three O3 concentrations (200, 350, and 500 μg m-3) were applied to 51-d-old plants (PL51). The time of the treatment was 4 h (7:30-11:30 h). Photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were done 4 times (before the exposure; 20 min, 20 h, and 2-3 weeks after the end of the treatment) using a LI-COR 6400 photosynthesis meter. The stomatal pore area and stomatal conductance were reduced as the O3 concentration increased. Ozone induced the decrease in the photosynthetic parameters of tomato regardless of the plant age. Both the photosystem (PS) II operating efficiency and the maximum quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry declined under the ozone stress suggesting that the PSII activity was inhibited by O3. The impaired PSII contributed to the reduced photosynthetic rate. The greater decline of photosynthetic parameters was found in the PL30 compared with the PL51. It proved the age-dependent ozone sensitivity of tomato, where the younger plants were more vulnerable. Ozone caused the degradation of photosynthetic apparatus, which affected the photosynthesis of tomato plants depending on the growth stage and the O3 concentration., A. A. Thwe, G. Vercambre, H. Gautier, F. Gay, J. Phattaralerphong, P. Kasemsap., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to abiotic stress has been widely investigated. Recent physiological studies focus on the use of osmoprotectants to ameliorate stress damage, but experiments at a field level are scarce. Two tomato cultivars were used for an experiment with saline water (6.57 dS m-1) and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in a silty clay soil. Rio Grande is a salinity-tolerant cultivar, while Heinz-2274 is the salt-sensitive cultivar. Exogenous application of proline was done by foliar spray at two concentrations (10 and 20 mg L-1) during the flowering stage. Control plants were treated with saline water without proline. Proline at the lower concentration (10 mg L-1) increased dry mass of different plant organs (leaves, stems, and roots) and it improved various chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters compared with controls. Regarding mineral nutrition, K+ and P were higher in different organs, while low accumulation of Na+ occurred. However, Mg2+ was very high in all tissues of Rio Grande at the higher concentration of proline applied. Thus, the foliar spray of proline at 10 mg L-1 increased the tolerance of both cultivars. The growth of aboveground biomass of Heinz-2274 was enhanced by 63.5%, while Rio Grande improved only by 38.9%., B. Kahlaoui, M. Hachicha, S. Rejeb, M. N. Rejeb, B. Hanchi, E. Misle., and Obsahuje bibliografii