Effects of ozone fumigation on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) morphology,anatomy, physiology,yield and qualitative characteristics of fibers

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of high ozone concentrations on two cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars. Two cotton cultivars (Romanos and Allegria) were exposed to control (CF < 4 ppb O₃) and 100 ppb O₃. Plant exposure to ozone began eight days after emergence and was interrupted one day before removing the leaves, to calculate the leaf area. Plants were exposed to ozone 7 h/day, in closed and controlled-environment chambers, during their illumination with artificial visible light.In comparison to control plants, plants exposed to O₃ showed chlorotic and necrotic patches on their leaves, increased stomatal or epidermal cell density and yellowness of cotton fibers. Elevated ozone concentration did not have a significant effect on stomatal width, total leaf thickness and thickness of histological components of leaves. Exposure to ozone concentration reduced non-glandular hair density of main leaf veins, plant height, mainstem internode length, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and length and area of bracts and petals. Elevated ozone treatment reduced the maximum length of staminal tube, anther number, pollen grain germination, leaf area, leaf dry weight, boll number, raw cotton weight, total branch length, dry weight of the mainstem–branches–bracts–carpophylls and of root dry weight. Furthermore, exposure to O₃ reduced the seed weight, the lint weight, the yield, the ratio of lint weight to seed weight, the fiber strength, the micronaire, the maturity index and the fiber uniformity index values. This study shows that the exposure to high ozone concentrations mainly affected the rate of photosynthesis, raw cotton weight and strength of cotton fibers.     

A comparison of spectral reflectance indices in response to water: A case study of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata

Aims Using leaf spectral reflectance to detect plant status in real time and non-destructively is a new method of forest drought assessment, but each spectral index possesses considerable moisture sensitivity. Therefore, determining moisture index applicable to tree leaf and its sensitive spectral index are both very important. Methods This study selected Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata leaves in different growth stages and canopy positions as the research object, and measured leaf moisture index and its synchronous reflectance spectral response curve during the dehydration process, explored the relationship between changes of leaf spectral reflectance and water status, compared and evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of correlation between the moisture indices of leaves in different growth stages and space positions and different spectral reflectance indices. Important findings Results indicated: (1) The variability of relative water content (RWC) and equivalent water thickness (EWT) in different growth stages and canopy positions was smaller than specific leaf water content (SWC) and leaf moisture percentage on fresh quality (LMP) as measured by the four different moisture indices. RWC and EWT could steadily characterize the holistic water status of trees, and they had greater spectral sensitivity. Therefore, they were suitable for application in remote sensing detection. (2) Spectral reflectance difference analysis and spectral reflectance sensitivity analysis showed that the leaf spectral sensitivity is strongly influenced by growth stage. In short wave infrared region, spectral reflectance of mature leaves changed slightly in the initial stage of dehydration stress, but new expended leaves showed obvious spectral differences during the dehydration process. (3) Through the correlation analysis between 15 different spectral indices and moisture indices, we found that water index (WI)-RWC and double difference index (DD_{n (1530,525)})-EWT has higher correlation. The fitted relations of WI-RWC are greatly influenced by leaf growth stage and canopy position, while those of DD_n(1530,525)- EWT are more stable.     

Analysis of the relationship between the spectral characteristics of maize canopy and leaf area index under drought stress

Maize is one of the most widespread grain crops in the world; however, more than 70% of corn in China suffers some degree of drought disaster every year. Leaf area index (LAI) is an important biophysical parameter of the vegetation canopy and has important significance for crop yield estimation. Using the data of canopy spectral reflectance and leaf area index (LAI) for maize plants experiencing different levels of soil moisture from 2011 to 2012, the characteristics of the canopy reflective spectrum and its first derivative, and their relationships to leaf area index, were analyzed. Soil moisture of the control group was about 75% while that of the drought stress treatment was about 45%. In addition, LAI retrieval models for maize were established using vegetation indices (VIs) and principal component analysis (PCA) and the models were tested using independent datasets representing different soil water contents and different developmental stages of maize. The results showed that canopy spectral reflectances were in accordance with the characteristics of green plants, under both drought stress and at different developmental stages. In the visible band, canopy reflectance for both healthy and damaged vegetation had a green-wavelength peak and a red-wavelength valley; reflectance under drought stress, especially in the green peak (about 550 nm) and the red valley (about 676 nm) was higher than in the control group. In the near-infrared band, the canopy spectral reflectance decreased substantially between 780 and 1350 nm under drought stress. Moreover, the red edge of the spectrum was shifted toward blue wavelengths. The first derivative spectrum showed a double peak phenomenon at the edge of the red band at different developmental stages: the main peak appeared between 728 and 732 nm and the minor peak at about 718 nm. The double peaks become more obvious through the growth and development of the maize, with the most notable effect during the silking and milk stages, after which it gradually decreased. During maize growth, the LAI of all plants, regardless of soil moisture conditions, increased, and the largest LAI also occurred during the silking and milk stages. During those stages, the LAI of plants under different drought stress levels was significantly lower (by 20% or more) than in normal plants with sufficient water supplies. The LAI was highly significantly correlated with canopy spectral reflectance in the bands from 350 nm to 510 nm, from 571 nm to 716 nm, and from 1450 nm to 1575 nm. Also, the LAI was significantly correlated with red edge parameters and several VIs. The Perpendicular Vegetation Index (PVI) had the best correlation with LAI, with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.726 for the exponential correlation. Using dependent data, a LAI monitoring model for the maize canopy was constructed using PCA and VI methods. The test results showed that both the VI and PCA methods of monitoring maize LAI could provide robust estimates, with the predicted values of LAI being significantly correlated with the measured values. The model based on PVI showed higher precision under the drought stresses, with a correlation coefficient of 0.893 (n = 27), while the model based on PCA was more precise under conditions of adequate soil moisture, with a correlation coefficient of 0.877 (n = 32). Therefore, a synthesis of the models based on both VI and PCA could be more reliable for precisely predicting LAI under different levels of drought stresses in maize.     

The applicability of empirical vegetation indices for determining leaf chlorophyll content over different leaf and canopy structures

Retrieving leaf chlorophyll content at a range of spatio-temporal scales is central to monitoring vegetation productivity, identifying physiological stress and managing biological resources. However, estimating leaf chlorophyll over broad spatial extents using ground-based traditional methods is time and resource heavy. Satellite-derived spectral vegetation indices (VIs) are commonly used to estimate leaf chlorophyll content, however they are often developed and tested on broadleaf species. Relatively little research has assessed VIs for different leaf structures, particularly needle leaves which represent a large component of boreal forest and significant global ecosystems. This study tested the performance of 47 published VIs for estimating foliar chlorophyll content from different leaf and canopy structures (broadleaf and needle). Coniferous and deciduous sites were selected in Ontario, Canada, representing different dominant vegetation species (Picea mariana and Acer saccharum) and a variety of canopy structures. Leaf reflectance data was collected using an ASD Fieldspec Pro spectroradiometer (400–2500 nm) for over 300 leaf samples. Canopy reflectance data was acquired from the medium resolution imaging spectrometer (MERIS). At the canopy level, with both leaf types combined, the DD-index showed the strongest relationship with leaf chlorophyll (R² = 0.78; RMSE = 3.56 μg/cm²), despite differences in leaf structure. For needleleaf trees alone the relationship with the top VI was weaker (D_[red], R² = 0.71; RMSE = 2.32 μg/cm²). A sensitivity study using simulated VIs from physically-modelled leaf (PROSPECT) and canopy (4-Scale) reflectance was performed in order to further investigate these results and assess the impacts of different background types and leaf area index on the VIs’ performance. At the leaf level, the MNDVI8 index showed a strong linearity to changing chlorophyll and negligible difference to leaf structure/type. At canopy level, the best performing VIs were relatively consistent where LAI ≥ 4, but responded strongly to differences in background at low canopy coverage (LAI = 2). This research provides comprehensive assessments for the use of spectral indices in retrieval of spatially-continuous leaf chlorophyll content at the leaf (MTCI: R² = 0.72; p < 0.001) and canopy (DD: R² = 0.78; p < 0.001) level for resource management over different spatial and temporal scales.     

Non-destructively predicting leaf area,leaf mass and specific leaf area based on a linear mixed-effect model for broadleaf species

Based on a linear mixed-effect model, we propose here a non-destructive, rapid and reliable way for estimating leaf area, leaf mass and specific leaf area (SLA) at leaf scale for broadleaf species. For the construction of the model, the product of leaf length by width (LW) was the optimum variable to predict the leaf area of five deciduous broadleaf species in northeast China. In contrast, for species with leaf thickness (T) lower than 0.10 mm, the surface metric of a leaf (e.g., LW or width) was more suitable for predicting leaf mass; and for species with leaf thickness larger than 0.10 mm, the volume metric of a leaf (e.g., the product of length, width and thickness together, LWT) was a better predictor. The linear mixed-effect model was reasonable and accurate in predicting the leaf area and leaf mass of leaves in different seasons and positions within the canopy. The mean MAE% (mean absolute error percent) values were 6.9% (with a scope of 4.1–13.0%) for leaf area and 13.8% (9.9–20.7%) for leaf mass for the five broadleaf species. Furthermore, these models can also be used to effectively estimate SLA at leaf scale, with a mean MAE% value of 11.9% (8.2–14.1%) for the five broadleaf species. We also propose that for the SLA estimation of the five broadleaf species examined, the optimum number of sample leaves necessary for good accuracy and reasonable error was 40–60. The use of the provided method would enable researchers or managers to rapidly and effectively detect the seasonal dynamic of leaf traits (e.g., leaf area, leaf mass or SLA) of the same sample leaves in the future.     

基于连续统去除法的水稻氮素营养光谱诊断

该文将矿质分析及岩石光谱特征分析中普遍使用的连续统去除法引入水稻(Oryza sativa)叶片反射光谱特征的分析中。分析连续统去除光谱反射率和连续统去除一阶微分光谱,发现随着氮素水平的增加连续统去除光谱反射率下降。分析连续统去除光谱吸收特征参数与叶片全氮量相关性,这些参数包括:吸收峰左半端的面积(A₁)、吸收峰整体面积(A)、对称度(S)和连续统去除最小反射率(D_hc),结果表明连续统去除光谱吸收特征参数与叶片全氮量之间负相关性显著(均通过0.01水平的显著相关检验)。考虑到氮素营养在植物体内转移的营养原理,在分蘖期、孕穗期和抽穗期这3个关键生育期内分别针对水稻第一完全展开叶和第三完全展开叶建立连续统去除光谱吸收特征参数评价水稻氮素营养的回归模型。结果表明在估算第三完全展开叶氮素营养时,3个生育期内建模使用的回归量均为吸收峰整体面积A,而且在3个生育期内模型的决定系数较高且比较稳定。但是,第一完全展开叶建模使用的回归量(续统去除光谱吸收特征参数)不完全一致,这可能是由于氮素营养在植物体内转移导致。尽管连续统去除法诊断水稻氮素营养的一些机理还有待于进一步深入研究,但是该研究证明了运用水稻鲜叶片连续统去除反射光谱进行定性和定量评价水稻氮素营养在方法上是可行的。     

Gas exchange acclimation to elevated CO2 in upper-sunlit and lower-shaded canopy leaves in relation to nitrogen acquisition and partitioning in wheat grown in field chambers

Growth at elevated CO₂ often decreases photosynthetic capacity (acclimation) and leaf N concentrations. Lower-shaded canopy leaves may undergo both CO₂ and shade acclimation. The relationship of acclimatory responses of flag and lower-shaded canopy leaves of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to the N content, and possible factors affecting N gain and distribution within the plant were investigated in a wheat crop growing in field chambers set at ambient (360 μmol mol⁻¹) and elevated (700 μmol mol⁻¹) CO₂, and with two amounts of N fertilizer (none and 70 kg ha⁻¹ applied on 30 April). Photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration at a common measurement CO₂, chlorophyll and Rubisco levels of upper-sunlit (flag) and lower-shaded canopy leaves were significantly lower in elevated relative to ambient CO₂-grown plants. Both whole shoot N and leaf N per unit area decreased at elevated CO₂, and leaf N declined with canopy position. Acclimatory responses to elevated CO₂ were enhanced in N-deficient plants. With N supply, the acclimatory responses were less pronounced in lower canopy leaves relative to the flag leaf. Additional N did not increase the fraction of shoot N allocated to the flag and penultimate leaves. The decrease in photosynthetic capacity in both upper-sunlit and lower-shaded leaves in elevated CO₂ was associated with a decrease in N contents in above-ground organs and with lower N partitioning to leaves. A single relationship of N per unit leaf area to the transpiration rate accounted for a significant fraction of the variation among sun-lit and shaded leaves, growth CO₂ level and N supply. We conclude that reduced stomatal conductance and transpiration can decrease plant N, leading to acclimation to CO₂ enrichment.     

Best hyperspectral indices for tracing leaf water status as determined from leaf dehydration experiments

Leaf water status information is highly needed for monitoring plant physiological processes and assessing drought stress. Retrieval of leaf water status based on hyperspectral indices has been shown to be easy and rapid. However, a universal index that is applicable to various plants remains a considerable challenge, primarily due to the limited range of field-measured datasets. In this study, a leaf dehydration experiment was designed to obtain a relatively comprehensive dataset with ranges that are difficult to obtain in field measurements. The relative water content (RWC) and equivalent water thickness (EWT) were chosen as the surrogates of leaf water status. Moreover, five common types of hyperspectral indices including: single reflectance (R), wavelength difference (D), simple ratio (SR), normalized ratio (ND) and double difference (DDn) were applied to determine the best indices. The results indicate that values of original reflectance, reflectance difference and reflectance sensitivity increased significantly, particularly within the 350–700 nm and 1300–2500 nm domains, with a decrease in leaf water. The identified best indices for RWC and EWT, when all the species were considered together, were the first derivative reflectance based ND type index of dND (1415, 1530) and SR type index of dSR (1530, 1895), with R² values of 0.95 (p < 0.001) and 0.97 (p < 0.001), respectively, better than previously published indices. Even so, different best indices for different species were identified, most probably due to the differences in leaf anatomy and physiological processes during leaf dehydration. Although more plant species and field-measured datasets are still needed in future studies, the recommend indices based on derivative spectra provide a means to monitor drought-induced plant mortality in temperate climate regions.     

Effects of elevated atmospheric O3 concentrations on early and late leaf growth and elemental contents of Acer truncatum Bung under mild drought

To investigate the possible interactive effects of elevated atmospheric ozone (O₃) concentrations and periodic drought stress on physiology of Shantung maple (Acer truncatum Bung), an experiment was conducted from the growth season of 2012 to 2013 with open-top chambers (OTCs) in Changping district, a suburb of Beijing, China. Four treatments were administered with three replications in twelve OTCs which were NN (well watered + ambient air), NO (well watered + add 100 nl l^? 1 O₃ above ambient air), DN (drought stress + ambient air) and DO (drought stress + add 100 nl l^? 1 O₃ above ambient air). Leaf area (LA), leaf mass per area (LMA), individual leaf weight (ILW), carbon(C), nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) contents in early and late leaves were measured at the end of the second year. The results showed: (1) Both elevated O₃ concentration and drought treatments significantly reduced early leaf LMA, LA, ILW, leaf N and S contents, with a reduction of 28.7, 45.7, 61.3, 39.6, 16.1% by O₃ stress and 12.5, 46.8, 53.5, 15.45 and 22% by drought stress, respectively, while only LMA of late leaf was reduced 12.1% by O₃ treatments and LA and ILW were significantly reduced 23.3% and 30% by drought treatments. (2) Significant interactions of elevated atmospheric O₃ concentration and mild drought were detected on LMA, LA, ILW, N and C contents in early leaves and LMA in late leaves. Except for LA, the decreases under interactive treatments were all less than independent O₃ effects. In conclusion, late leaf had less responses to elevated O₃ and drought stresses than early leaves which need to be considered separately. The interactive effects suggested drought had antagonistic effects with O₃ on growth indicators except for LA, indicating drought could mitigate the adverse efforts from O₃ effects.     

Time and frequency of thiamethoxam application for control of Japanese gall-forming thrips,Ponticulothrips diospyrosi (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) on persimmon

Ponticulothrips diospyrosi Haga et Okajima has several characteristic features of damage, such as leaf rolling and dotted scars on fruit skin. The objectives of this study were to find out the optimum timing and frequency of insecticide application to reduce this damage. The effect of spraying twice at a 7-day interval before adult immigration was tested. The efficacy of the insecticide was delayed by the favorable microhabitat produced by adults and offspring within damaged leaf. Twice spraying in 2005 was effective in reducing the number of surviving insects and damaged leaves 1 month later. The time of adult immigration was coincident with the growth of persimmon shoots to 2 cm approximately, or the stage of four to five leaves, on April 22. Spraying three times in 2006 was the most effective, starting the first spray at the five to six leaf stage, immediately before immigration, and the second 9 days later (on immigration), and the third after the flowers faded. By using this control regime, no leaves were damaged, and residues of thiamethoxam and its metabolite were trace levelled when they were analysed by HPLC in late October. The growers could obtain the highest portion of marketable fruits, > 99%, yielding an acceptable net income.     

Morphological and physiological responses of nine southern U.S. rice cultivars differing in their tolerance to enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation

The impact of climatic change on crop production is a major global concern. One of the climatic factors, ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B; 280–320 nm), which is increasing as a result of depletion of the global stratospheric ozone layer, can alter crop productivity. As the initial step in development of UV-B tolerant rice cultivars for the southern U.S., in this study we screened popular southern U.S. rice cultivars for variation in tolerance to elevated UV-B radiation with respect to morphological, phenological and physiological parameters. Plants grown in the greenhouse at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Beaumont, Texas, U.S. were exposed to 0, 8 or 16 kJ m⁻² day⁻¹ UV-B radiation for 90 days. Our results showed differences among southern US rice cultivars in response to UV-B treatments with respect to leaf photosynthetic rate (P_n), leaf phenolic concentration, pollen germination (PG), spikelet fertility (SF), leaf number, leaf area, and yield. For most of the cultivars, plants exposed to enhanced UV-B radiation showed decreased P_n, PG, SF and yield and increased spikelet abortion and leaf phenolic concentration compared to the plants grown in a UV-B-free environment. In this study, cultivar ‘Clearfield XL729’ performed better than the other cultivars under enhanced UV-B radiation.     

Leaf anatomical responses to periodical waterlogging in simulated semidiurnal tides in mangrove Bruguiera gymnorrhiza seedlings

Leaf anatomical changes of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lamk seedlings grown in experimental equipment that simulated semidiurnal tides with salinities of 15‰ under greenhouse conditions were studied. Compared with the 0 h treatments, leaf thickness, palisade parenchyma thickness, spongy parenchyma thickness, palisade–spongy thickness ratio, xylem length of the vascular system and number of vessels and vessel lines under the 12 h treatments declined 31.9%, 59.1%, 21.7%, 47.1%, 48.9%, 67.1% and 51.6%, respectively. However, the upper and lower epidermis to leaf thickness ratio, upper and lower hypodermis to leaf thickness ratio and stomatal density of 12 h treatments showed increases of 47.9%, 50.9%, 14.3%, 21.4% and 104.3% over those of 0 h treatments, respectively. The cuticle to leaf thickness ratio (inundated for 0–6 h) decreased significantly with waterlogging duration at first and then increased. Moreover, the percentage of intercellular spaces in spongy tissue decreased from 4 to 10 h treatment and then tended to increase by nearly 20% in the 12 h treatment. Tannin cells that were distributed in the vascular tissue, crystalliferous cells and phloem fibers were more abundant in the short-duration waterlogging treatments than in the long-duration waterlogging treatment. It was concluded that significant changes in the leaf anatomical features as a result of periods of immersion would have come at the cost of reduction of photosynthesis and water transport when waterlogging duration was longer than 2 h. These anatomical characteristics further proved that B. gymnorrhiza had a relatively low tolerance to waterlogging at the seedling stage.     

Temperature dependence of growth,development, and photosynthesis in maize under elevated CO2

Global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations (C_a) are rising. As a consequence, recent climate models have projected that global surface air temperature may increase 1.4–5.8 °C with the doubling of C_a by the end of the century. Because, changes in C_a and temperature are likely to occur concomitantly, it is important to evaluate how the temperature dependence of key physiological processes are affected by rising C_a in major crop plants including maize (Zea mays L.), a globally important grain crop with C₄ photosynthetic pathway. We investigated the temperature responses of photosynthesis, growth, and development of maize plants grown at five temperature regimes ranging from 19/13 to 38.5/32.5 °C under current (370 μmol mol⁻¹) and doubled (750 μmol mol⁻¹) C_a throughout the vegetative stages using sunlit controlled environmental chambers in order to test if the temperature dependence of these processes was altered by elevated C_a. Leaf and canopy photosynthetic rates, C₄ enzyme activities, leaf appearance rates, above ground biomass accumulation and leaf area were measured. We then applied temperature response functions (e.g., Arrhenius and Beta distribution models) to fit the measured data in order to provide parameter estimates of the temperature dependence for modeling photosynthesis and development at current and elevated C_a in maize. Biomass, leaf area, leaf appearance rate, and photosynthesis measured at growth C_a was not changed in response to CO₂ enrichment. Carboxylation efficiency and the activities of C₄ enzymes were reduced with CO₂ enrichment indicating possible photosynthetic acclimation of the C₄ cycle. All measured parameters responded to growth temperatures. Leaf appearance rate and leaf photosynthesis showed curvilinear response with optimal temperatures near 32 and 34 °C, respectively. Total above ground biomass and leaf area were negatively correlated with growth temperature. The dependence of leaf appearance rate, biomass, leaf area, leaf and canopy photosynthesis, and C₄ enzyme activities on growth temperatures was comparable between current and elevated C_a. The results of this study suggest that the temperature effects on growth, development, and photosynthesis may remain unchanged in elevated C_a compared with current C_a in maize.     

Low stomatal density and reduced transpiration facilitate strawberry adaptation to salinity

Water and soil salinization are major constraints to agricultural productions because plant adaptation to hyperosmotic environments is generally associated to reduced growth and ultimately yield loss. Understanding the physiological/molecular mechanisms that link adaptation and growth is one of the greatest challenges in plant stress research since it would allow us to better define strategies to improve crop salt tolerance. In this study we attempted to establish a functional link between morphological and physiological traits in strawberry in order to identify margins to “uncouple” plant growth and stress adaptation. Two strawberry cultivars, Elsanta and Elsinore, were grown under 0, 10, 20 and 40 mM NaCl. Upon salinization Elsanta plants maintained a larger and more functional leaf area compared to Elsinore plants, which were irreversibly damaged at 40 mM NaCl. The tolerance of Elsanta was correlated with a constitutive reduced transpirational flux due to low stomatal density (173 vs. 234 stomata mm⁻² in Elsanta and Elsinore, respectively), which turned out to be critical to pre-adapt plants to the oncoming stress. The reduced transpiration rate of Elsanta (14.7 g H₂O plant⁻¹ h⁻¹) respect to Elsinore (17.7 g H₂O plant⁻¹ h⁻¹) most likely delayed the accumulation of toxic ions into the leaves, preserved tissues dehydration and consented to adjust more effectively to the hyperosmotic environment. Although we cannot rule out the contribution of other physiological and molecular mechanisms to the relatively higher tolerance of Elsanta, here we demonstrate that low stomatal density may be beneficial for cultivars prescribed to be used in marginal environments in terms of salinity and/or drought.     

稻麦叶片氮积累量与冠层反射光谱的定量关系

作物氮素积累动态是评价作物群体长势及估测产量和品质的重要指标,对于作物氮素的实时监测和精确管理具有重要意义。该文以5个小麦(Triticum aestivum)品种和3个水稻(Oryza sativa)品种在不同施氮水平下的3年田间试验为基础,综合研究了稻麦叶片氮积累量与冠层反射光谱的定量关系。结果表明,不同试验中拔节后叶片氮积累量均随施氮水平呈上升趋势;稻麦冠层光谱反射率在不同施氮水平下存在明显差异,可见光区(460~710 nm)反射率一般随施氮水平的增加逐渐降低,近红外波段(760~1 220 nm)反射率却随施氮水平的增加逐渐升高;就单波段而言,810和870 nm处的冠层光谱反射率均与稻麦叶片氮积累量具有相对较高的相关性;在光谱参数中,比值植被指数(Ratio vegetation index, RVI)(870,660)和RVI(810,660)均与稻麦叶片氮积累量具有高度的相关性,且相关系数明显高于单波段反射率,尤其是水稻作物;对于小麦和水稻,均可以利用统一的波段和光谱指数来监测其叶片氮积累量,并可以采用统一的回归方程来描述其叶片氮积累量随单波段反射率和反射光谱参数的变化模式,但若采用单独的回归系数则可以提高稻麦叶片氮积累量估测的准确性。     

Thermoimaging as a tool for studying light-induced heating of leaves: Correlation of heat dissipation with the efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry and non-photochemical quenching

Thermoimaging – a highly sensitive and non-invasive method of temperature measurement – was applied to explore the role of changing photosynthetic efficiency in light-induced heating of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun) leaves. In the absence of evaporative cooling through the stomata, which was achieved by covering leaves with Vaseline, illumination with 50–1400 μM photons m^?2 s^?1 intensity of photosynthetically active radiation resulted in ≈1–5 °C leaf temperature increase in about 2 min. The heating effect showed a non-linear correlation with the extent of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) resulting in higher leaf temperatures at higher NPQ values. When leaves were adapted to excessive irradiance (1300 μM photons m^?2 s^?1 for 6 h), which resulted in reduction of photosynthetic efficiency and amplification of NPQ the light-induced heating effect was enhanced. The experimental results have been explained on the basis of a simple theoretical model characterizing the balance of energy fluxes in leaves in relation to the efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry and non-photochemical quenching. The role of alternative energy dissipation pathways outside of PSII in the phenomenon of light-induced leaf heating is also discussed.     

Effect of photoperiod on growth of the plants,and sesamin content and CYP81Q1 gene expression in the leaves of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Sesamin is a major lignan constituent of sesame (Sesamum indicum) seed and considered responsible for a number of beneficial human health effects. We previously reported that sesamin is present in sesame leaves, and proposed use of sesame leaves as a sesamin-containing material. This study focused on the possibility that both leaf yield and sesamin content would be increased with increasing photoperiod. Additionally, it was hypothesized that sesamin content would be affected by photoperiod in relation to CYP81Q1 gene expression. We thus investigated the effect of photoperiod on growth and leaf sesamin content in relation to CYP81Q1 gene expression to confirm our hypothesis. Under short-day (SD) condition, increase of leaf area was suppressed due to the phase transition from vegetative to reproductive growth, which resulted in reduction of leaf yield. Under long-day (LD) conditions, vegetative growth was continued, and both leaf area and yield increased as photoperiod increased up to 24 h (continuous light). Sesamin accumulated particularly in the leaves of plants grown under a 24-h photoperiod for 4 weeks. High expression level of the CYP81Q1 gene in those plants indicates that photoperiod-dependent differences in leaf sesamin content correlate with differences in CYP81Q1 gene expression levels. We conclude that cultivation under continuous light enables high-yield production of sesame leaves containing distinctively high levels of sesamin.     

Photosynthetic capacity of field-grown durum wheat under different N availabilities: A comparative study from leaf to canopy

The effect of N availability on photosynthetic capacity, growth parameters and yield was studied in field-grown durum-wheat plants at both the leaf and canopy levels. Two contrasting nitrogen levels (120 and 0 kg ha^?1) were assayed in a randomised block design with nine replicates each. Total biomass was measured at anthesis and yield and its agronomical components at maturity. Photosynthetic measurements were performed 2 weeks after anthesis in two plots of each N treatment. Flag leaves were measured, using a LI-COR 6400 combined with the chlorophyll fluorescence meter, and the whole canopy by measuring CO₂ and H₂O fluxes in an innovative canopy-chamber system. We showed a clear increase in photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll contents with N fertilisation at both canopy and leaf levels. As a consequence the increase in yield as response to N fertilisation seems the result of a larger green leaf area combined with a higher photosynthetic capacity of the leaves attributable to an increase in the maximum carboxylation velocity of Rubisco. Moreover gas-exchange measurements of the flag leaf during grain filling seem to provide a realistic characterisation, not just of the photosynthetic performance of the crop, but also about the impact of N availability on yield. Thus, measurements performed on the flag leaf matched those at the canopy level, with proportional increases in terms of gas exchange and chlorophyll content, providing a fast, cheap and reliable estimation of canopy photosynthesis and the grain yield attained by the crop.     

Soundness of in situ lipid biomarker analysis: Early effect of heavy metals on leaf fatty acid composition of Lactuca serriola

In previous studies we proposed the plant leaf fatty acid composition, and more precisely the ratio C18:3/(C18:0 + C18:1 + C18:2) as a tool to diagnose soil contamination ex situ. These studies led us to normalize this parameter as a biomarker of soil quality using Lactuca sativa growing under controlled conditions as the plant model species. The evaluation of the toxic effects of pollutants is more difficult to grasp in a real and more complex environment. Hence we developed a study to test the hypothesis that plant leaf fatty acid composition could be used also as a reliable tool to diagnose soil contamination in situ. We tested whether Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce) could be used as a plant model species for such studies, primarily because it is widely distributed in various European countries and recorded at different habitats, and regarded as an ancestor of the cultivated lettuce L. sativa that was used for ex situ experiments. The results show that the lipid biomarker values were significantly lower in leaves of L. serriola grown on a metallurgic landfill soil than in leaves of plants harvested on surrounding countryside areas. To determine whether the value of the lipid biomarker in L. serriola leaves could be correlated to the soil metal content, we also measured the metal content of the soil corresponding to the rhyzospheric areas from where the prickly lettuce leaves were harvested. The results of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) show that the lipid biomarker is negatively correlated with both Ni and Cr content. Moreover, these results show that the lipid biomarker values measured in situ were repeatable from year to year, confirm that this biomarker measured in situ would provide an early indication of a plant's exposure to metal, and could be therefore used to facilitate or strengthen the diagnosis of soil contamination.     

Responses of maize ecosystem to warming based on WATDPED experiment under near-field condition

By using the standard climate in Beijing during 2000–2010 as baseline, a current and warming contrast experiment was conducted with the Water Transformation Dynamical Processes Experimental Device (WATDPED) to quantify the responses of a maize system to warming in terms of growth and water consumption. Under 2 °C warming, the maize growth period was shortened by 8 days. Chlorophyll content and N content of leaves were enhanced but C content and C/N ratio were decreased. Similarly, there were slight decreases in plant height and stem diameter. The stalk biomass component decreased in leaf and stem ratio, whenever increase in ear ratio over the total biomass. The 100-seed weight and yield were enhanced slightly as a result of the increase of net photosynthesis rate and the decrease of leaf area index. Although the daily evapotranspiration was increased, the total water consumption over the entire growth period was decreased mainly due to the shortened growth period. The values of water use efficiency leaf scale, ecosystem scale (irrigation water use efficiency), and ecosystem scale (evapotranspiration efficiency) were boosted to 28.88%, 6.78% and 5.38%, respectively. It was concluded from the experiments that under 2 °C warming at the p = 0.05 significant level, maize’s yield did not change but the size of maize became smaller in terms of stalk diameter and biomass was higher on the ear. It showed a stronger physiological vigor (higher N content and chlorophyll content) plus a lower total water consumption. Maize’s responses to warming were shown diversified and ensemble assessment by using multiple indicators including yield, biomass component, nutrient and water consumption among others is recommended.