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Specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen content, and photosynthetic acclimation of Trifolium repens L. seedlings grown at different irradiances and nitrogen concentrations

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Clover seedlings were grown at different nitrogen concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 mM NO3 −, i.e. N5 to N25) and two irradiances, I (200 and 400 µmol m−2 s−1 of photon flux density, i.e. I 200 and I 400). Net photosynthetic rate (P N), photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE), leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content, maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), and actual photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2 (PS2) (ΦPS2) increased from N5 to N15 and decreased with N15 to N25. P N, PNUE, and ΦPS2 were higher at I 400 than at I 200, but Fv/Fm and leaf Chl contents at I 400 were lower than at I 200. The effects of the N and I on specific leaf area (SLA) and N contents per unit dry mass (Nm) were similar, the SLA and Nm increased from N5 to N25 and they were higher at I 200 than at I 400. The nitrogen contents per unit area (Na) increased from N5 to N20, but decreased from N20 to N25. The Na was higher at I 200 than at I 400 when Trifolium repens grew at N5 and N10, but it was higher at I 400 than at I 200 at N15 to N25.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P.R. China

    H. An

  2. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P.R. China

    Z. -P. Shangguan

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  1. H. An
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  2. Z. -P. Shangguan
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Correspondence to Z. -P. Shangguan.

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An, H., Shangguan, Z.P. Specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen content, and photosynthetic acclimation of Trifolium repens L. seedlings grown at different irradiances and nitrogen concentrations. Photosynthetica 46, 143–147 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-008-0023-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-008-0023-y

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