Abstract
Drought is a key factor restricting plant survival, growth and development. The physiological parameters of plants are commonly used to determine the water status, in order to irrigate appropriately and save water. In this study, mulberry (Morus alba L.) and paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent.) seedlings were used as experimental materials, and four soil moisture treatments were set up for both plant species: 70–75% (CK: the control group, referred to as T0), 55–60% (T1: mild drought), 40–45% (T2: moderate drought), and 25–30% (T3: severe drought). The growth parameter of the plants was measured every two days from the onset of the treatment, the photosynthetic and electrophysiological parameters of the plants were measured every other week for a total of five times. The physiological responses and electrophysiological traits of leaves under different treatment levels were analyzed. The results showed that the photosynthetic and electrophysiological parameters could characterize the response of mulberry growth and development to soil water, and the growth and electrophysiological parameters could characterize the response of paper mulberry growth and development to soil water. Mild drought had no significant effects on the growth and development of mulberry and paper mulberry.
Highlights
This paper mainly aims to explore the feasibility of using electrophysiological parameters to characterize plant water metabolism, and to clarify the response mechanism of two plant species to drought by combining electrophysiological, photosynthetic and growth parameters
B. papyrifera were grown varied depending on the stress level
There were obvious correlations between the electrophysiological and photosynthetic indexes of M. alba, so these indexes can be used together to represent the response of M. alba growth and development to soil water
Summary
Thereby affecting agricultural production, and its global severity is great concern [1]. With the continuous intensification of the greenhouse effect, the frequency of drought is increasing [2]. Drought causes morphological and physiological changes, and even causes death [3]. Many parts of China, a large agricultural country, are currently suffering from drought, which restricts the development of agriculture and forestry, and has adverse effects on the ecological environment [4]. Research on the drought resistance of plants has become a top priority. Plants can respond differently to drought through complex regulatory mechanisms, which can be summarized as follows: (1) They can enhance water harvesting to escape drought, such as by developing roots, closing stomata, or lowering leaf temperature [5]
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