Features of the photosynthetic apparatus in winter and spring wheat plants with different cold tolerance

Abstract

It has been shown that winter wheat differs significantly not only in cold tolerance but also in the nature of changes in functional organization of the photosynthetic apparatus. Such changes occur already in the first hours of low temperature action, minimizing the adverse effects of cold on plants. They are of an adaptive nature and, along with others, permit the plants of winter wheat to survive under cold conditions. Accounting for these specific features may be useful for breeding to create cold-resistant varieties, as well for assessing the prospects of their introduction to regions that are characterized by frequent and significant lowering of temperature with long-term nature included in the period of active plant vegetation.