Heterogeneity of photosynthesis within leaves is associated with alteration of leaf structural features and leaf N content per leaf area in rice
Dongliang Xiong A , Tingting Yu A , Xi Liu A , Yong Li A , Shaobing Peng A and Jianliang Huang A B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China.
B Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain Industry, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, China.
C Corresponding author. Email: jhuang@mail.hzau.edu.cn
Functional Plant Biology 42(7) 687-696 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP15057
Submitted: 20 December 2014 Accepted: 11 April 2015 Published: 20 May 2015
Abstract
Increasing leaf photosynthesis rate (A) is considered an important strategy to increase C3 crop yields. Leaf A is usually represented by point measurements, but A varies within each leaf, especially within large leaves. However, little is known about the effect of heterogeneity of A within leaves on rice performance. Here we investigated the changes in gas-exchange parameters and leaf structural and chemical features along leaf blades in two rice cultivars. Stomatal and mesophyll conductance as well as leaf nitrogen (N), Rubisco and chlorophyll contents increased from base to apex; consequently, A increased along leaves in both cultivars. The variation in A, leaf N content and Rubisco content within leaves was similar to the variations among cultivars, and the extent of A heterogeneity within leaves varied between cultivars, leading to different efficiencies of biomass accumulation. Furthermore, variation of A within leaves was closely associated with leaf structural and chemical features. Our findings emphasise that functional changes along leaf blades are associated with structural and chemical trait variation and that variation of A within leaves should be considered to achieve progress in future breeding programs.
Additional keywords: biomass, CO2 diffusion, leaf structure, leaf N content per leaf area.
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