The effect of Euphorbia scordifolia and Hordeum leporinum competition on leaf area development, radiant energy absorption, and dry matter production was evaluated in a field experiment. Profile measurements (0-0.3, 0.3-0.6, 0.6-0.9, and >0.9 m above ground) of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) and leaf area index (LAI) by species were taken at four densities of E. scordifolia (0, 1, 4, and 12 plants per m2). APAR calculated for H. leporinum in mixed communities was 79, 77, and 49 % of the APAR in H. leporinum and LAI was reduced to 81, 65, and 37 %. LAI of H. leporinum was concentrated in the 0.3-0.6 m layer, while the taller E. scordifolia plants had the greatest LAI above 0.6 m. By absorbing radiant energy in the upper canopy, E. scordifolia reduced APAR penetrating to H. leporinum. Measurements of net photosynthetic and transpiration rates, leaf temperature, and stomatal conductance confirmed the importance of competition for PAR for plant growth and metabolism.
The design and construction of amelioration systems (irrigation, drainage) should precede diagnosis of soil water regime (SWR), to estimate its need and design parameters. It means, it is needed to calculate cyclic course of so called soil water regime characteristics. As soil water regime characteristic can be used soil moisture of the soil root zone at some depth, soil water potential at certain depth, soil water content of the root zone, as they are affected by evapotranspiration and its components. Seasonal courses of soil water regime characteristics differ, therefore it is necessary to estimate statistical parameters of SWR characteristics during relatively long period of minimum twenty seasons. This paper presents method of plant transpiration regime assessment, based on seasonal canopy transpiration series, calculated retrospectively by mathematical model HYDRUS-ET. Novelty of this approach is using of the empirical relationship between the seasonal transpiration totals and biomass production (yield). Cumulative frequency distribution curve of seasonal transpiration was chosen as a basic characteristic. This approach allows to estimate cumulative frequency curves of yields and cumulative frequency of potential yields. The difference is cumulative frequency of yields optimized by irrigation system. This allows to transform expected yields increase to investment and operational price and to compare expenditure to profit. This approach is illustrated on loess soil with maize canopy during 31 seasons. and Predtým, ako sa vyprojektuje a vybuduje hydromelioračná stavba, je nevyhnutné diagnostikovať vodný režim pôdy (VRP), to znamená určiť vlastnosti cyklických chodov charakteristík VRP. Ako charakteristiky režimu vody v pôde môžu byť využité: vlhkosť koreňovej oblasti pôdy, vlhkostný potenciál vo vybraných hĺbkach pôdy, obsah vody v koreňovej oblasti pôdy, ktoré sú ovplyvnené evapotranspiráciou a jej zložkami - transpiráciou a výparom. Sezónne chody vybraných charakteristík VRP sa v jednotlivých rokoch výrazne líšia, preto je potrebné určiť štatistické vlastnosti charakteristík VRP za dostatočne dlhé obdobie, najmenej dvadsiatich rokov. Údaje pre analýzu boli získané matematickým modelovaním pohybu vody v pôde pomocou matematického modelu HYDRUS-ET. Ako základná charakteristika bola vybraná transpirácia porastu. Vlastnosti režimu odberu vody porastom určuje čiara prekročenia úhrnov transpirácie konkrétneho porastu za jeho vegetačné obdobie. Prínosom tejto práce je metóda kvantitatívneho hodnotenia vplyvu sezónnych úhrnov transpirácie na úrodu, prostredníctvom všeobecne akceptovanej empirickej závislosti medzi produkciou biomasy a úhrnom transpirácie za vegetačné obdobie. Prostredníctvom tejto závislosti boli určené čiary prekročenia úrod, potenciálnych úrod a rozdielov medzi nimi, čo reprezentuje možnosti zvýšenia produkcie biomasy hydromelioračným opatrením. Takto sa dali transformovať možné zmeny sezónnych úhrnov transpirácie na ekonomickú rovinu a porovnať ekonomický prínos zmeny VRP s nákladmi na jej uskutočnenie. Metodický postup je ilustrovaný analýzou VRP porastu kukurice počas 31 vegetačných období.
Net photosynthetic rate (PN) was studied in field-grown peanut cv. GG 2 in relation to leaf position, time of day, reproductive-sink, and phenophase. In general, PN remained higher in the upper leaves (first from top to the fourth) than in the lower leaves (fifth to eighth). The mean PN of the leaves situated upper and the leaves lower in the canopy increased from the morning, reached a maximum during noon hours, and decreased thereafter. Between 09:00 to 10:00 h, PN, stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration rate (E) in the upper leaves were higher than in the lower leaves, but between 12:00 and 13:00 h, these activities increased significantly in the lower leaves. Highest PN was found during pod-development phase. Removal of flowers, and hence of active reproductive-sink, decreased plant height and number of leaves, and initiated accumulation of photosynthates in the leaves. The PN per unit leaf area in plants with reproductive-sink (WRS) was similar to those without reproductive-sink (WORS). However, leaf area of WORS plants decreased significantly, mainly due to the reduction in number of leaves. No feed-back inhibition of PN (per unit leaf area) was found despite accumulation of photosynthates in the leaves as a result of removal of the active reproductive-sink. and P. C. Nautiyal, V. Ravindra, Y. C. Joshi.
This contribution presents a proposal of semiempirical method to estimate vertical profiles of nutrients uptake rate by plant roots, based on results of field measurements of soil - plant - atmosphere continuum (SPAC). The transport of chemicals in porous media can be described by convection-dispersion equation, containing sink term, characterising the solute (nutrients) uptake by roots. To determine this sink term was the aim of presented study. The data - necessary for determination of nutrients uptake rate profiles - during plants ontogenesis were acquired by measurement in the field site with maize canopy, near Trnava locality, South Slovakia. The proposed method of vertical profiles of nutrients uptake calculation is based on the estimated direct proportionality between nutrients uptake rate (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and transpiration intensity during ten days time intervals. Shorter time interval is not recommended to be utilised, because estimation errors are comparable to the changes of estimated values of nutrients concentration in plants. A nutrient uptake rates profiles can be determined using the Eq. (9), knowing water uptake rate profiles and the ratio of transpiration flux and particular nutrient uptake rate. The nutrient uptake rate profile calculated by the proposed method can be incorporated into the convection-dispersion equation and is used to model nutrient transport in the soil, taking into account uptake of particular nutrients by plants, during the vegetation period. Comparison of nitrogen uptake rates estimated from field measurements and those, calculated by the presented method shows significant differences in some cases, but seems to be applicable for mathematical modelling of nutrients uptake by plants. and Príspevok obsahuje návrh poloempirickj metódy výpočtu vertikálneho rozdelenia intenzít odberu rozpustených látok (najdôležitejších živín) porastom poľnohospodárskych plodín. Súbor údajov (chodov intenzít transpirácie počas ontogenézy rastlín a sezónnych chodov obsahu vybraných živín v pôde a v rastlinách), umožňujúcich výpočet, bol získaný z výsledkov komplexných meraní charakteristík systému pôda - rastlina - atmosféra (SPAC) v pôde s porastom kukurice v objekte bývalého Výskumného ústavu kukurice v Trnave. Predpokladajúc platnosť zistenej priamej úmernosti medzi intenzitami odberu živín (dusík, fosfor, draslík) rastlinami z pôdy a intenzitou transpirácie porastu, navrhnutá bola metóda výpočtu vertikálneho rozdelenia intenzít odberu rozpustených látok (najdôležitejších živín) porastom poľnohospodárskych plodín. Jej aplikácia umožňuje určenie odberového člena v rov. (1) a riešením tejto rovnice môžeme vypočítať zmeny koncentrácie vybraných živín v pôde, berúc do úvahy ich odber koreňmi rastlín. Odberový člen možno vypočítať pomocou rov. (9), ak poznáme vertikálne rozdelenie intenzít odberu vody koreňmi rastlín a pomer medzi transpiračným tokom a celkovou intenzitou odberu príslušného iónu porastom v danom časovom intervale. Porovnanie celkových intenzít odberu dusíka porastom kukurice, ktoré bolo určené z výsledkov poľných meraní a intenzít, vypočítaných predloženou metódou síce v niektorých prípadoch ukazuje na značné rozdiely (obr. 4), avšak v prvom priblížení je metóda vhodná na modelovanie pohybu žívín v pôde.
The recessive lethal character Luteus-Pa, expressed as a yellowing of leaves of young seedlings and followed by death approximately 60 d after emergence, presents a 3:1 segregation in crosses and/or selfpollinated plants. We evaluated quantitatively the fluorescence emission of chlorophyll (Chl), gas exchange, and chemical composition of normal and recessive homozygous cacao seedlings of the cross Pa 121×Pa 169. The characteristics of Chl fluorescence kinetics were studied in stages B2, B3, C, D, and E of leaf development, corresponding to plant ages of 9 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 20, 21 to 30, and >30 d, respectively. Gas exchanges were measured in mature leaves of both seedlings. In regular intervals of 3 d beginning at 33 d after emergence, the seedlings were separated into roots, stems, leaves, and cotyledons to determine the contents of saccharides (SAC) and free amino acids (FAA) and variation of the leaf Chl content. The Chl distribution in complexes of the photosynthetic apparatus was analysed by SDS-PAGE in mature leaves of both normal and recessive 32-d-old seedlings. There were variations in Chl fluorescence, gas exchanges and chemical composition of different parts of both types of seedlings. However, no significant differences were found in the Chl distribution through photosynthetic complexes of 32-d-old normal and recessive homozygous seedlings. After that period a decrease in the Chl concentration was observed in the recessive seedlings, and only minimum fluorescence (F0) was found. The F0 values were higher in the recessive seedlings than in the normal ones. The net photosynthetic rate of mature leaves was negative in agreement with low conductance, transpiration rate, and high internal CO2 concentration. These factors might have contributed to a depletion in SAC in different plant parts. Although F0 partially reflects the Chl concentration in leaf tissue, the increase in its value was probably due to a damage in reaction centres of photosystem 2. Therefore, the growth and development of recessive homozygous seedlings depended exclusively on cotyledon reserves, the depletion of which leads to death. and A.-A. F. de Almeida, R. R. Valle, P. Serrano Minar.
In Ochroma pyramidale (Cav. ex Lam.) Urb., photon-saturated photosynthetic capacity (PNmax) was 13 μmol(CO2) m-2 s-1. Average stomatal conductance (gs) and water-use efficiency (WUE) were greater at high irradiance, about 260 mmol(H2O) m-2 s-1 and 2.15 g(C) kg-1(H2O), respectively. In the dark, gs values were about 30% of maximum gs. Leaf nutrient contents on a leaf area basis were 131, 15, 36, 21, and 12 mmol m-2 for N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, respectively. Ochroma also accumulated a greater amount of soluble saccharides than starch, 128 versus 90 g kg-1 (DM). The availability of N and Mg, but not P, Ca, or K, may limit photosynthetic rates of Ochroma in this site. and R. A. Marenco, J. F. de C. Gonçalves, G. Vieira.
Field experiments were conducted under rain-fed conditions to study the growth and photosynthetic efficiency of transgenic Bt cotton hybrids during 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. Three Bt cotton hybrids (Bollgard 1) and their non-Bt (NBt) counterparts viz. MECH 12, MECH 162, and MECH 184 were grown along with a local hybrid NHH44. Growth parameters such as plant height, main-stem nodes, biomass accumulation, and physiological processes like stomatal conductance (gs), and rates of transpiration (E) and photosynthesis (PN) did not differ significantly between Bt and NBt hybrids up to 80 DAS (d after sowing). Squaring commenced at 50 DAS both in Bt and NBt. The loss of young fruiting forms by the entomological factors was three times less in Bt than NBt. As a consequence, Bt had more early formed bolls on the lower canopy which contributed to higher biomass and seed cotton yield. On the other hand, bolls distributed intermittently in NBt. Heavy boll load altered the growth and physiological processes, and as a result Bt had higher gs, E, and PN than NBt. Since developing bolls (sink) divert the saccharides and nutrients from other organs, Bt plants with heavy boll load senesced early and stopped the production of new squares and bolls. Thus, the boll load influenced the change in growth and physiological processes of Bt from NBt. and K. B. Hebbar, N. K. Perumal, B. M. Khadi.
Environmental factors that induce spatial heterogeneity of stomatal conductance, gs, called stomatal patchiness, also reduce the photochemical capacity of CO2 fixation, yet current methods cannot distinguish between the relative effect of stomatal patchiness and biochemical limitations on photosynthetic capacity. We evaluate effects of stomatal patchiness and the biochemical capacity of CO2 fixation on the sensitivity of net photosynthetic rate (PN) to stomatal conductance (gs), θ (θ = δP N/gs). A qualitative model shows that stomatal patchiness increases the sensitivity θ while reduced biochemical capacity of CO2 fixation lowers θ. We used this feature to distinguish between stomatal patchiness and mesophyll impairments in the photochemistry of CO2 fixation. We compared gas exchange of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants grown in a growth chamber and fed abscisic acid, ABA (10-5 M), for 10 d with control plants (-ABA). PN and gs oscillated more frequently in ABA-treated than in control plants when the leaves were placed into the leaf chamber and exposed to a dry atmosphere. When compared with the initial CO2 response measured at the beginning of the treatment (day zero), both ABA and control leaves showed reduced PN at particular sub-stomatal CO2 concentration (ci) during the oscillations. A lower reduction of P N at particular g s indicated overestimation of ci due to stomatal patchiness and/or omitted cuticular conductance, gc. The initial period of damp oscillation was characterised by inhibition of chloroplast processes while stomatal patchiness prevailed at the steady state of gas exchange. The sensitivity θ remained at the original pre-treatment values at high gs in both ABA and control plants. At low gs, θ decreased in ABA-treated plants indicating an ABA-induced impairment of chloroplast processes. In control plants, gc neglected in the calculation of gs was the likely reason for apparent depression of photosynthesis at low gs. and J. Šantrůček ... [et al.].
A differential response to long-term ozone exposures (50 and 100 mm3 m-3) was observed in the green and white areas of variegated leaves of Hedera canariensis var. azorica L. In green tissue the photosynthetic activity was depressed via a stomatal mechanism, and in white regions no effect was observed. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters remained unchanged in green portions, whereas in the white ones Fm and Fv/Fm significantly diminished following ozone fumigation. and G. F. Soldatini ... [et al.].
Three-month-old mulberry (Morus alba L.) cultivars (salt tolerant cv. S1 and salt sensitive cv. ATP) were subjected to different concentrations of NaCl for 12 d. Leaf area, dry mass accumulation, total chlorophyll (Chl) content, net CO2 assimilation rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration rate (E) declined, and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) increased. The changes in these parameters were dependent on stress severity and duration, and differed between the two cultivars. The tolerant cultivar showed a lesser reduction in PN and gs coupled with a better Ci and water use efficiency (WUE) than the sensitive cultivar. and S. Giridara Kumar ... [et al.].