Abstract
Peas (Pisum sativum L.) belong among the world’s oldest domesticated crops, serving as a source of proteins, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Autumn sowing allows a higher biomass production as well as the avoidance of the drought and heat stresses of late spring. However, the character of European continental winters limits plant growth and development through cold stress. This work sought parameters that reflect the cold tolerance of pea plants and consequently to suggest an afila-type pea cultivar with resilience to European continental winters. For this purpose, we employed indoor remote sensing technology and compared the 22-day-long acclimation to 5 °C of four pea cultivars: Arkta, with normal leaves and the known highest cold resistance to European continental winters, and Enduro, Terno and CDC Le Roy, all of the afila type. Besides evaluation of shoot growth rate and quenching analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) by imaging methods, we measured the chlorophyll content and ChlF induction with a nonimaging fluorometer. Here we show that the acclimation to cold of the Arkta exhibits a different pattern than the other cultivars. Arkta showed the fastest retardation of photosynthesis and shoot growth, which might be part of its winter survival strategy. Terno, on the other hand, showed sustained photosynthetic performance and growth, which might be an advantageous strategy for spring. Surprisingly, Enduro showed sustained photosynthesis in the stipules, which transferred and acclimated to 5 °C (cold-acclimated). However, of all the cultivars, Enduro had the strongest inhibition of photosynthesis in new stipules that developed after the transition to cold (cold-developed). We conclude that the parameters of ChlF spatial imaging calculated as averages from whole plants are suboptimal for the characterization of various cold acclimation strategies. The most marked changes were obtained when the new cold-developed leaves were analyzed separately from the rest of the plant.
Highlights
Peas (Pisum sativum L.), as one of the oldest domesticated crops in the world [1,2], have long been recognized as an inexpensive, readily available source of protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals [3]
On the basis of an evaluation of plant growth, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic function after the temperature drop from 21 ◦C to 5 ◦C in the leaves/stipules of TER, END, CDC and ARK pea cultivars, we conclude that despite the declared cold resistance of END and CDC, these cultivars do not have the genuine characteristics of a cultivar suitable for European continental winters
Similar behavior as in END was observed in the cold-acclimated stipules of other afila-type cultivars (TER, CDC), a significant decrease in photosynthetic function (FV/FM, performance index on the absorption basis (PIABS), PIABS,total) occurred in the cold-developed END stipules
Summary
Peas (Pisum sativum L.), as one of the oldest domesticated crops in the world [1,2], have long been recognized as an inexpensive, readily available source of protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals [3]. Various species of overwintering plants have developed adaptive responses to the seasonal changes in the weather [5,6,7,8]. They sense the upcoming cold period through the perception of environmental signals. The process of sensing an upcoming period with low temperatures leading to changes at the level of gene expression, cellular water management, plant metabolism and physiology is known as cold acclimation. A cultivar that would connect the advantage of the increased lodging resistance of the afila type with the ability to survive autumn sowing could become a boon for farmers
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
