Greater Carbon Gain Research Articles

Revealing the Role of the Calcineurin B-Like Protein-Interacting Protein Kinase 9 (CIPK9) in Rice Adaptive Responses to Salinity, Osmotic Stress, and K+ Deficiency.

In plants, calcineurin B-like (CBL) proteins and their interacting protein kinases (CIPK) form functional complexes that transduce downstream signals to membrane effectors assisting in their adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. This study addresses the issue of the physiological role of CIPK9 in adaptive responses to salinity, osmotic stress, and K+ deficiency in rice plants. Whole-plant physiological studies revealed that Oscipk9 rice mutant lacks a functional CIPK9 gene and displayed a mildly stronger phenotype, both under saline and osmotic stress conditions. The reported difference was attributed to the ability of Oscipk9 to maintain significantly higher stomatal conductance (thus, a greater carbon gain). Oscipk9 plants contained much less K+ in their tissues, implying the role of CIPK9 in K+ acquisition and homeostasis in rice. Oscipk9 roots also showed hypersensitivity to ROS under conditions of low K+ availability suggesting an important role of H2O2 signalling as a component of plant adaptive responses to a low-K environment. The likely mechanistic basis of above physiological responses is discussed.

Growth and Water Use During Establishment of Irrigated Bare Root and Balled-Burlap Green Ash Transplanted Into A High Desert Landscape

We investigated growth, water relations, and water use of bare root (BR) and balled-burlapped (BB) Patmore green ash following transplanting into an irrigated landscape setting in a high desert climate. Treatments were green ash harvested as larger (40 mm caliper) BB and BR trees, and smaller BR stock (25 mm caliper). During establishment, we measured canopy growth for 3 years, and for 2 years plant water relations [predawn water potential and midday stomatal conductance (gS)] and water depletion within the root zone. All treatments expressed varying degrees of isohydric responses to root loss by reducing gS that maintained water potential nearly constant, but least so for the smaller BR trees. gS was greater than that of all larger trees, meaning that for the same cost in water potential as the larger trees, BR-Small benefitted from more open stomates and presumably greater carbon gain. Greater initial conductance apparently translated into more growth. Year 1, BR-Small trees had the least total leaf area, but by Year 3 total leaf area was not different among all treatments. Also during Year 1, the ratio of water use to local reference evapotranspiration [plant factor (PF)] was 0.36 for large BR trees vs. 0.56 for BB trees, similar to the recommended PF of 0.5 for trees in dry climates. These results suggest smaller BR trees are a cheaper alternative for high desert landscapes while reaching nearly equivalent growth to BB trees after 3 years. Achieving high growth of BR trees would need careful scheduling of irrigation amount and frequency based on leaf area, root zone size, and local reference evapotranspiration.

Patterns of dynamic irradiance affect the photosynthetic capacity and growth of dipterocarp tree seedlings.

In the deeply shaded understorey of S.E. Asian rain forests the growth and survival of dipterocarp seedlings is limited by their ability to maintain a positive carbon balance. Photosynthesis during sunflecks is an important component of carbon gain in understorey plants. To test the sensitivity of photosynthesis and growth to variation in the pattern of dynamic irradiance, dipterocarp tree seedlings (Shorea leprosula and Hopea nervosa) were grown for 370 days under shaded forest light treatments of equal total daily photosynthetic photon flux density (approximately 3.3 mol m(-2) day(-1)), but characterised by either long flecks (LF) or short flecks (SF). Seedling growth was more than 4-fold greater under LF, compared with SF, in both species. Variation in the relative growth rates (RGR) and light saturated rates of photosynthesis (A(max)) were strongly positively correlated with the mean duration of sunflecks. Variation in RGR was strongly correlated with greater unit leaf rate growth, indicating that photosynthetic carbon gain per unit leaf area was greater under LF. The accumulation of starch in leaves over the diurnal period was 117% greater in both species under LF, compared with SF. Greater carbon gain in seedlings under LF is likely to have resulted from the combination of (1) greater A(max) (S. leprosula 35%, H. nervosa 40%), (2) more efficient dynamic photosynthesis, and (3) greater incident photosynthetic quantum yield, compared with seedlings receiving the SF irradiance treatment. The pattern of dynamic irradiance received by seedlings may significantly impact their growth and survival to a previously unrecognised extent, with important consequences for regeneration processes and hence forest structure and composition.

GAS EXCHANGE, GROWTH, YIELD AND BEVERAGE QUALITY OF COFFEA ARABICA CULTIVARS GRAFTED ON TO C. CANEPHORA AND C. CONGENSIS

Gas exchange, leaf carbon isotope discrimination, growth, yield and beverage quality were evaluated for two Coffea arabica cultivars (Catuai and Mundo Novo), grafted on to C. canephora and C. congensis progenies growing in open fields. During the years 1994 to 1997, grafting resulted in an average increase in bean yield of 151 and 89% for Catuai and Mundo Novo respectively. As analysed by sensory analyses and by the ratio between the mono-isomers and di-isomers of caffeoylquinic acid, beverage quality of the C. arabica was not altered by grafting. Shoot growth was significantly greater in grafted plants, showing an increase of 52% in total leaf area compared with the non-grafted plants. Under conditions of water excess in the soil there was little difference in the transpiration and stomatal conductance rates between the grafted and non-grafted plants, but the net photosynthesis was higher in grafted plants. With an accentuated water deficit in the soil in the dry period, the grafted plants showed significantly higher transpiration and stomatal conductance rates than the non-grafted plants, and similar values to those of C. canephora. Carbon isotope discrimination was greater in the grafted plants, suggesting greater root hydraulic conductance. The results suggest that the better performance of the grafted plants during the dry period was due to the greater capacity of the root system of C. canephora to provide water to the shoot thereby maintaining greater gas exchange in the leaves and consequently a greater carbon gain.

Effect of Cloudcover on Photosynthesis and Transpiration in the Subalpine Understory Species Arnica Latifolia

Analysis of solar radiation data for three summers (1978—1980) revealed that cloud—cover was present for at least 10% of the daytime on 85% of the days in the Medicine Bow Mountains of southeastern Wyoming and occurred most frequently from 1000 to 1800. Although cloudcover caused a major reduction in direct—beam irradiance as well as a 30% decrease in daily integrated photon flux density at the forest floor, substantial increases in diffuse photon flux density were measured. The understory herb Arnica latifolia had a 37% greater carbon gain on representative cloudy days than on clear days with an 84% reduction in transpiration, which resulted in more than a sevenfold increase in water use efficiency when compared to clear days. The increase in carbon gain may have been the result of photosynthetic rates that were still near saturation even under the diffuse light of cloudy days. Thus, photosynthesis and water relations of A. latifolia may be enhanced by the natural occurrence of afternoon clouds which prevent potential increases in transpiration without decreasing in carbon gain.

Photosynthetic responses of C3 and C4 species from cool shaded habitats in Hawaii.

The C4 species, Euphorbia forbesii, and the C3 species, Claoxylon sandwicense, occupy cool, shaded habitats in Hawaii. Both of these species exhibit the photosynthetic characteristics of typical shade plants: low light-saturated photosynthetic rates, low dark respiration rates, low light levels for saturation of photosynthesis, and low light compensation points. In addition, the quantum yields of the two species are similar at leaf temperatures near 22°C, reflecting a significant increase in the quantum yield of E. forbesii over that of C4 species from open habitats. C. sandwicense has a lower dark respiration rate than E. forbesii. Hence, since the quantum yields of the two species are similar at cool temperatures, C. sandwicense has a higher photosynthetic rate than E. forbesii at low incident photon flux densities. As a consequence, C. sandwicense should have a greater carbon gain than E. forbesii under the diffuse radiation conditions of their native habitat. However, since E. forbesii has a higher light-saturated photosynthetic rate than C. sandwicense, E. forbesii may have a greater carbon gain than C. sandwicense during sunflecks.