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Photosynthetic induction in leaves of two cucumber genotypes differing in sensitivity to low-light stress


X Sui
J Sun
S Wang
W Li
L Hu
F Meng
Y Fan
Z Zhang

Abstract

Low light is one of the most important stress factors affecting cucumber production in China greenhouse. Two cucumber genotypes (Cucumis sativus L.), Deltastar with low light-tolerance and Jinyan No. 2 with low light-sensitivity were used to study the response of gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, stomatal opening and ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activity to low light during photosynthetic induction. In this experiment, cucumber plants were exposed to 75 to 100 μmol·m-2·s-1 (control light 500 to 550 μmol·m-2·s-1) at 25 or 17°C (day/night) for 20 days. Photosynthetic induction was determined during cultivation after pre-dark 14 to 16 h. The results showed that there were stomatal and non-stomatal limitations (biochemical limitation) during induction of leaf photosynthesis. However, the biochemical limitation played a primary role in the early stage, but the stomatal limitation was predominant in the later stage during the whole photosynthetic induction. The time of net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), actual photosystem II efficiency (ФPSII), linear electron transport rate (J) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) to reach maximal levels (steady-state) of cucumber leaves acclimated to low-light displayed longer induction process when compared with that under control light condition. Moreover, Jinyan No. 2, the low light-sensitive genotype, showed a longer start time of photosynthesis (STP), lower PN, ФPSII, degree of stomatal opening and Rubisco activation state, as well as higher NPQ than those of Deltastar.

Key words: Cucumis sativus, low light, photosynthetic induction, chlorophyll a fluorescence, Rubisco, stomata.


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eISSN: 1684-5315