Photosynthetica 2011, 49(3):426 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-011-0055-6

Acclimation of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum, cv. Yangmai 13) to low levels of solar irradiance

Y. Zheng1,2,*, B. Mai1, R. Wu1, Y. Feng1, A. Sofo3, Y. Ni1, J. Sun1, J. Li1, J. Xu1
1 College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (NUIST), Nanjing, PR China
2 Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster - KLME, Nanjing, PR China
3 Dipartimento di Scienze dei Sistemi Colturali, Forestali e dell'Ambiente, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy

Winter wheat is a grass species widely planted in northern and central China, where the increase of aerosols, air pollutants and population density are causing significant reduction in solar irradiance. In order to investigate the adaptation of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Yangmai 13) to low irradiance conditions occurring in the downstream plain of the Yangtze River (China), plants were subjected to four solar irradiance treatments (100%, 60%, 40%, and 20% of environmental incident solar irradiance). Significant increases in chlorophyll (Chl) and xanthophyll (Xan) pigments, and decreases in Chl a/b and Xan/Chl ratios were observed in plants under low light. Light-response curves showed higher net photosynthetic rates (P N) in fully irradiated plants, that also showed a higher light-compensation point. Shaded plants maintained high values of minimal fluorescence of dark-adapted state (Fo) and maximum quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) that assess a lower degree of photoinhibition under low light. Reduced irradiance caused decreases in effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII), electron transport rate (ETR), and nonphotochemical quenching coefficient (qN), and the promotion of excitation pressure of PSII (1 - qP). The activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and peroxidase were high under reduced light whereas no light-dependent changes in catalase activity were observed. Thiobarbituric acid reactive species content and electrolyte leakage decreased under shaded plants that showed a lower photooxidative damage. The results suggest that winter wheat cv. Yangmai 13 is able to maintain a high photosynthetic efficiency under reduced solar irradiance and acclimates well to shading tolerance. The photosynthetic and antioxidant responses of winter wheat to low light levels could be important for winter wheat cultivation and productivity.

Additional key words: antioxidant enzymes; chlorophyll; electrolyte leakage; oxidative stress; photoinhibition

Received: January 30, 2011; Accepted: June 29, 2011; Published: September 1, 2011  Show citation

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Zheng, Y., Mai, B., Wu, R., Feng, Y., Sofo, A., Ni, Y., ... Xu, J. (2011). Acclimation of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum, cv. Yangmai 13) to low levels of solar irradiance. Photosynthetica, 49(3), 426. doi: 10.1007/s11099-011-0055-6
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