Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Gas Exchange in Coffea arabica During Adjustment to Different Soil Moisture Regimes

Abstract

Although carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) has been reported to decline in plants growing under reduced soil moisture, there is little information available concerning the dynamics of adjustments in Δ and gas exchange following a change in soil water availability. In this study Δ, photosynthetic gas exchange, and growth were monitored in container-grown coffee (Coffea arabica L.) plants for 120 days under three soil moisture regimes. At the end of 120 d, total leaf area of plants irrigated twice weekly was one half that of plants irrigated twice daily, although their assimilation rates on a unit leaf area basis were nearly equal throughout the experiment. This suggested that maintenance of nearly constant photosynthetic characteristics on a unit leaf area basis through maintenance of a smaller total leaf area may constitute a major mode of adjustment to reduced soil moisture availability in coffee. Intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUE) predicted from foliar Δ values was highest in plants irrigated weekly, intermediate in plants irrigated twice weekly and lowest in plants irrigated twice daily. When instantaneous WUE was estimated from independent measurements of total transpiration per plant and assimilation on a unit leaf area basis, the reverse ranking was obtained. The lack of correspondence between intrinsic and instantaneous WUE was attributed to adjustments in canopy morphology and leaf size in the plants grown under reduced water supply which enhanced transpiration relative to assimilation. Values of Δ predicted from the ratio of intercellular to ambient CO₂ partial pressure determined during gas exchange measurements were not always consistent with measured foliar Δ. This may have resulted from a patchy distribution of stomatal apertures in plants irrigated weekly and from a lag period between adjustment in gas exchange and subsequent alteration in Δ of expanding leaves. The importance of considering temporal and spatial scales, and previous growth and environmental histories in comparing current single leaf gas exchange behaviour with foliar Δ values is discussed.