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Comparison of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence of low-potassium-tolerant and -sensitive soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars under low-potassium condition

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

The effects of potassium (K) deficiency on chlorophyll (Chl) content, photosynthetic gas exchange, and photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry during the seedling stage were investigated in two soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars, low-K sensitive Tiefeng31 and low-K tolerant Shennong6. The cultivars were grown hydroponically in K-sufficient (KS) and K-deficient (KD) solutions. Photosynthetic gas exchange and Chl content in Tiefeng31 were severely affected by the low K condition, but were almost unaffected in Shennong6. This difference is in accordance with the PSII photochemistry in the plants, indicating that the photosynthetic apparatus of Shennong6 is more tolerant to low-K stress than that of Tiefeng31.

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Abbreviations

Area:

the space above the fluorescence curve between F0 and Fm

Chl:

chlorophyll

C i :

intercellular CO2 concentration

E :

transpiration rate

Fm :

maximal Chl fluorescence yield of dark-adapted state

F0 :

minimal fluorescence yield of dark-adapted state

Fv :

variable Chl fluorescence

Fv/Fm :

maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII

g s :

stomatal conductance to water vapour

K:

potassium

KD:

K-deficient

KS:

K-sufficient

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

QA :

primary quinone acceptor of PSII

RC:

reaction centre

Vj :

relative variable fluorescence intensity at the J-step

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Acknowledgement

This work is supported by a grant from Shenyang Agricultural University for young teachers (2006109) and the Creative Team Project (CTP) from the education department of Liaoning province.

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Correspondence to M. -J. Cao.

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Li, X.T., Cao, P., Wang, X.G. et al. Comparison of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence of low-potassium-tolerant and -sensitive soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars under low-potassium condition. Photosynthetica 49, 633–636 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-011-0073-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-011-0073-4

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