Quantifying key model parameters for wheat leaf gas exchange under different environmental conditions

The maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco(Vcmax)and maximum rate of electron transport(Jmax)for the biochemical photosynthetic model,and the slope(m)of the Ball-Berry stomatal conductance model influence gas exchange estimates between plants and the atmosphere.However,there is limited data on the variation of these three parameters for annual crops under different environmental conditions.Gas exchange measurements of light and CO2 response curves on leaves of winter wheat and spring wheat were conducted during the wheat growing season under different environmental conditions.There were no significant differences for Vcmax,Jmax or m between the two wheat types.The seasonal variation of Vcmax,Jmax and m for spring wheat was not pronounced,except a rapid decrease for Vcmax and Jmax at the end of growing season.Vcmax and Jmax show no significant changes during soil drying until light saturated stomatal conductance(gssat)was smaller than 0.15 mol m^–2 s^–1.Meanwhile,there was a significant difference in m during two different water supply conditions separated by gssat at 0.15 mol m^–2 s^–1.Furthermore,the misestimation of Vcmax and Jmax had great impacts on the net photosynthesis rate simulation,whereas,the underestimation of m resulted in underestimated stomatal conductance and transpiration rate and an overestimation of water use efficiency.Our work demonstrates that the impact of severe environmental conditions and specific growing stages on the variation of key model parameters should be taken into account for simulating gas exchange between plants and the atmosphere.Meanwhile,modification of m and Vcmax(and Jmax)successively based on water stress severity might be adopted to simulate gas exchange between plants and the atmosphere under drought.

N/P/K Ratios and CO₂Concentration Change Nitrogen-Photosynthesis Relationships in Black Spruce

The relationship between photosynthesis and leaf nitrogen concentration is often used to model forest carbon fixation and ratios of different nutrient elements can modify this relationship. However, the effects of nutrient ratios on this important relationship are generally not well understood. To investigate whether N/P/K ratios and CO2 concentration ([CO2]) influence relationships between photosynthesis and nitrogen, we exposed one-year-old black spruce seedlings to two [CO2] (370 and 720 μmol·mol-1), two N/P/K ratio regimes (constant (CNR) and variable (VNR) nutrient ratio) at 6 N supply levels (10 to 360 μmol·mol-1). It was found that photosynthesis (Pn) was more sensitive to nitrogen supply and N/P/K ratios under the elevated [CO2] than under ambient [CO2];under the elevated [CO2], Pn declined with increases in N supplies above 150 μmol·mol-1 in the CNR treatment but was relatively insensitive to N supplies of the same range in the VNR treatment. Further, our data suggest that the nutrient ratio and the CO2 elevation effects on photosynthesis were via their effects on the maximum rate of carboxylation (Vcmax) but not electron transport (Jmax) or triose phosphate utilization (TPU). The results suggest that the CO2 elevation increased the demand for all three nutrient elements but the increase was greater for N than for P and K. The CO2 elevation resulted in greater photosynthetic use efficiencies of N, P and K, but the increases varied with the nutrient ratio treatments. The results suggest that under elevated [CO2], higher net photosynthetic rates demand different optimal N-P-K ratios than under the current [CO2].

Leaf Potential Productivity at Different Canopy Levels in Densely-planted and Intermediately-thinned Apple Orchards

Most apple orchards in the apple production districts in China were densely planted with vigorous rootstocks during the 1980 s. These orchards have suffered micro-environmental deterioration and loss of fruit quality because of the closed canopy. Modification of the denselyplanted orchards is a priority in current apple production. Intermediate thinning is a basic technique used to transform densely-planted apple orchards in China. Our goal was to provide theoretical basis for studying the effect of thinning on the efficiency of photosynthetically active radiation(PAR),fruit quality, and yield. We measured leaf area, solar radiation, and leaf air exchange at different tree canopy levels and by fitting relevant photosynthetic models, vertical distribution characteristics of leaf photosynthetic potentials and PAR were analyzed in various levels within canopies in densely-planted and intermediately-thinned orchards. Intermediate thinning significantly improved the radiant environment inside the canopies. PAR distribution within the canopies in the intermediately-thinned orchard was better distributed than in the densely-planted orchards. The invalid space under 30.0% of relative photosynthetically active radiation(PAR_r) was nearly zero in the intermediately-thinned orchard; but minimum PARr was 17.0% and the space under 0.30 of the relative height of the canopy was invalid for photosynthesis in the densely-planted orchard. The leaf photosynthetic efficiency in the intermediately-thinned orchard was improved. Photosynthetic rates(P_n) at the middle and bottom levels of the canopy, respectively, were increased by 7.80% and 10.20% in the intermediately-thinned orchard. Leaf development, which influences photosynthetic potential, was closely related to the surrounding micro-environment, especially light. Leaf photosynthetic potentials were correlated with leaf nitrogen content(N_1) and specific leaf weight(M_1) at various levels of canopies. Compared with the densely-planted orchard, the photosynthetic capacity parameters, such as maximum carboxylation rate(CE_(max)) and maximum electron transfer rate(J_(max)), significantly increased in the intermediately-thinned orchard. Leaf photosynthetic potentials mainly depended on Nl and Nl was closely related to PARr. Leaf photosynthetic potentials and PAR_r can be assessed using spatial distribution patterns of relative leaf nitrogen content(N_(lr)).