Combining Ability Analyses of Net Photosynthesis Rate in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

In perspective of breeding high-yield hybrid pepper varieties, combining ability analysis of net photosynthesis rate at different phases of flowering and fruit setting in pepper was made with 15 cross combinations from 6 parents by （1/2） n （n- 1） diallel crosses. There are relatively large differences not only in general combining ability （GCA） effect among different parents and at different phases of flowering and fruit setting, but also in specific combining ability （SCA） effect among different hybrids. There are relatively large GCA effects in late parents but relatively less GCA effects in early parents. No obvious laws have been found in the relationship between SCA effects and maturity of hybrids. Variances of SCA are larger than those of GCA. Heritability is less but influence of environment is larger. Correlation analysis of combining ability between net photosynthesis rate and agronomic character or resistances to main diseases has showed that correlation coefficients of GCA are relatively large at the medium phase and the late phase of flowering and fruit setting. Net photosynthesis rate is more relative to leaf characters and fruit characters. Correlation coefficients of SCA are relatively large at the early phase and the late phase of flowering and fruit setting. Net photosynthesis rate is more relative to leaf characters and plant characters at the early phase but to plant characters and fruit characters at the late phase. Correlation coefficients of SCA between net photosynthesis rate and resistances to main diseases are larger than those of GCA. The combining abilities of net photosynthesis rate at different phases of flowering and fruit setting are positively correlated with those of yield per plant. The combining ability is an important parameter of breeding of high photosynthesis hybrid pepper varieties.

Photosynthesis and Transpiration Characters of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and Their Relationship with Relevant Factors during Branching Stage

[ Objective] The paper presents the diumal changes of photosynthesis and transpiration of different alfalfa varieties and their relationship with the associated physiological and ecological factors during branching stage, so as to provide a basis for the development, utilization, and breed- ing of alfalfa. [ Method] Under natural conditions, the diurnal changes of net photosynthetic rate （Pn）, transpiration rate （Tr）, the relevant physio- logical factors including leaf temperature （TI）, stomatal conductance （Gs） and intemal COn concentration （Ci）, as well as the relevant physiologi- cal factors including photosynthetic available radiation （PAR）, CO2 concentration in field （Ca） and air temperature （Ta） were measured in four al- falfa varieties （Algonguin, WL323 HQ, WL414, and Millionaire）. The water use efficiency （WUE） and light use efficiency （LUE） were calculated, and the correlation among them was also analyzed. [Result] The Pn, Tr, PAR and Ta of the four varieties appeared to vary in a single-peak curve; the sequence of WUE was WL323 HQ ~ Algonguin ~ WL414 ~ Millionaire; there was no significant difference in LUE of the four alfalfa varieties; coef- ficient analysis showed that Pn was mainly affected by PAR, Gs, and Ci, while Tr by PAR and Ta. [ Conclusion] WL323 HQ is the variety with high Pn, high WUE and low Tr, and it has strong adaptability to drought. In four alfalfa varieties, PAR, Ta, Gs, and TI are the primary determining fac- tors while Ca and Ci the limiting factors of Tr; Gs is the primary determining factor while Ci the limiting factor of Pn.

Adaptive responses of Acer ginnala, Pyrus ussuriensis and Prunus davidiana seedlings to soil moisture stress

One-year-old seedlings of Amur maple (Acer ginnala Maxim), Ussurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim) and David peach (Prunus davidiana Carr) were planted in pots in greenhouse and treated with four different soil moisture contents (75.0%, 61.1%, 46.4% and 35.4%). The results showed that net photosynthesis rate (NPR), transpiration rate (TR) and stomatal conductance (Sc) of seedlings of the three species decreased with the decease of soil moisture content, and Amur maple seedlings had the greatest change in those physiological indices, followed by Ussurian pear, David peach. Amur maple and Ussurian pear seedlings also presented a decrease tendency in water use efficiency (WUE) under lower soil moisture content, whereas this was reversed for David peach. Under water stress the biomass allocation to seedling root had a significant increase for all the experimental species. As to root/shoot ratio, Amur maple seedlings had the biggest increase, while David peach had the smallest increase. The leaf plasticity of Amur maple seedlings was greater, the leaf size and total leaf area decreased significantly as the stress was intensified. No significant change of leaf size and total leaf area was found in seedlings of Ussurian pear and David peach. It was concluded that Amur maple was more tolerant to soil moisture stress in comparison with David peach and Ussurian pear.

Isolation and physiological characteristics of a premature senescence mutant in rice(Oryza sativa L.)

A rice pse（t） （premature senescence, tentatively） mutant line, was isolated from 4500 independent T-DNA inserted transgenic lines. The symptoms of premature senescence appeared more severely than those of the control plants （Zhonghua 11, japonica） at the last development stage. To characterize the mutant and provide basic information on the candidate genes by mapping to a physical region of 220-kb, experiments were carried out in two phytotrons under controlled temperature of 24 ℃ and 28 ℃, respectively. The content of chlorophyll, soluble protein and MDA （malondialdehyde）, net photosynthesis, the antioxidant enzyme activities of SOD （superoxide dismuase） （EC 1.15.1.1 ） and POD （peroxidase） （EC 1.11.1.7） and the peptidase activities of leaves were measured from top to bottom according to the leaf positions at the flowering stage. Compared with the control plant, the mutant showed the following characteristics： （1） Higher net photosynthesis rate （Pn） appeared in the 1st and 2nd leaves, contents of chlorophyll and soluble protein were also higher in the 1st leaf; （2） The activities of SOD, POD and peptidase were higher according to the leaf position from top to bottom; （3） The symptom of premature senescence was accelerated in the mutant at 28 ℃ treatment. The MDA content and the SOD and POD activities between the 24 ℃ and 28 ℃ treatment mutants were not significantly different. Content of chlorophyll and soluble protein of leaves mutant decreased rapidly at 28 ℃ treatment. The results show thatpse（t） is sensitive to high temperature. The probable function of PSE（T） is discussed.

CO_2, H_2O exchange and stomatal regulation of regenerated Camptotheca acuminata plantlets during ex vitro acclimatization

For finding the changes in CO2, H20 exchange and their stomatal regulation during ex vitro acclimatization of regenerated Camptotheca acuminata plantlets, the net photosynthesis rate （Pn）, respiration rate （Ro）, light compensation point （Lc） and light saturation point （Ls）, transpiration rate （Tr）, stomatal conductance （gs） and water use efficiency（WUE） were measured during 37 days of ex vitro acclimatization. The results showed that Pn sharply increased until 29 days, then slightly decreased. A substantial decrease in Lc and a substantial increase of Ls in the former two weeks were observed, indicating the light regime enlargement for effective leaf photosynthesis. Tr and gs abruptly decreased during the first week then linearly increased until 29days ex vitro acclimatization, reflecting the strong regulation effect of stomata on water changes of ex vitro acclimating plantlets. Stomatal regulation effect on CO2 exchange was different from that on water exchange, i.e. P, was almost independent of gs during the first week, while P. was significantly correlated with gs thereafter （i.e. dual patterns）. Different from dual patterns of gs-Pn relation, the Tr monotonously linearly increased with gs. Furthermore, WUE was almost independent on gs during the first week, while a marked decreasing tendency with gs was found thereafter. At the beginning of the acclimatization, WUE was mainly determined by photosynthetic capacity, while transpiration becomes a main determinant factor for WUE from 7 to 37 days＇ acclimatization.

Studies on photoprotective mechanism of desert plant Reaumuria soongorica under progressive soil drying

Reaumuria soongorica （pall.） Maxim, a perennial desert semi-shrub, is widely found in semi-arid areas of China. It shows strong tolerance to drought, high temperature and intense radiation in its natural habitat. In the present study, photoprotective mechanism of R. soongorica was investigated by analyzing diurnal variations of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorecence parameters during progressive soil drying. The results show that leaf water potential of R. soongorica decreased when the soil water content dropped. Diurnal patterns of net photosynthetic rate （Pn） changed from ＂two peaks＂ to ＂one peak＂ under drought stress, and the leaf water use efficiency （WUE） increased under moderate drought and declined under severe drought. Pn , the primary maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII （Fv/Fm） and the quantum efficiency of non-cyclic electron transport of PSII （ΦPSII） decreased obviously at noon, and showed a photoinhibition phenomenon. But, the non-photochemical quenching of fluorescence （NPQ） soon reached its maximum in the day and then remained almost at the high level until 17：00, indicating that the xanthophylls cycle-dependent thermal energy dissipation played an important role. Diurnal variations of the original chlorophyll fluorescence （Fo） increased at first and then decreased. The increased value of F o under drought stress indicates that there was a reversible inactivation of PSII reaction center. These results indicate that the photoprotective mechanism in R. soongorica was the photoinhibition by using both the xanthophylls cycle-dependent thermal energy dissipation and the reversible inactivation of PSII reaction center under drought stress.