Nicosulfuron is a post-emergence herbicide used for weed control in fields of maize (Zea mays L.). We used a pair of nearly isogenic inbred lines, SN509-R (nicosulfuron-resistant) and SN509-S (nicosulfuron-sensitive), to study the effect of nicosulfuron on waxy maize seedling. After the nicosulfuron treatment, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, leaf maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence, and the actual photochemical efficiency of PSII were significantly lower in SN509-S than those of SN509-R, contrary to intercellular CO₂ concentration, stomatal limitation, and nonphotochemical quenching. Compared to SN509-R, antioxidant enzyme activities in SN509-S decreased significantly in response to the nicosulfuron treatment, while SN509-S exhibited an increased malondialdehyde content, which was associated with lower antioxidant enzyme activities. These results collectively suggest that the nicosulfuron-resistance mechanism was associated with photosynthetic rate, reactive oxygen species metabolism, and protective mechanisms.

We investigated the photosynthesis and leaf development of cherry tomato seedlings grown under five different combinations of red and blue light provided by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Fresh biomass increased significantly under treatments with blue light percentages of 50, 60, and 75%, with 50% blue-light-grown seedlings accumulating significantly more dry mass. The 25% blue-light-grown seedlings were obviously weaker than those from the other LED treatments. An increase in net photosynthetic rate upon blue light exposure (25-60%) was associated with increases in leaf mass per unit leaf area, leaf area, leaf density, stomatal number, chloroplast and mesophyll cell development, and chlorophyll contents. Our results imply that photosynthesis and leaf development in cherry tomato seedlings are associated with both the proportion and quantity of blue light.

Morphological and ecophysiological traits showed by male and female Populus tomentosa Carr. trees were studied under various degrees of water and alkaline stresses. The results showed that different adaptations to drought and alkaline stresses were adopted by each gender; males possessed a much higher tolerance to both stresses compared to females. In contrast to females, the males exhibited a lower inhibition in total biomass, total leaf area, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, leaf carbon and nitrogen concentrations as well as water- and nitrogen-use efficiency in response to drought and alkaline stresses. Nevertheless, compared to the males, the females showed a higher plasticity in root biomass/shoot biomass ratio, fine root/coarse root ratio, and intrinsic water-use efficiency, indicating that the males and females differed in some of trade-offs between growth and stress defence to maximize water and nitrogen gains under both stress conditions.

Variations in leaf gas-exchange characteristics, PSII activity, leaf pigments, and tuber yield were investigated in seven wild and one cultivated species of Dioscorea from Koraput, India, in order to find out their overall adaptability to the environment. The leaf photosynthetic rate, transpiration, stomatal conductance, water-use efficiency, carboxylation efficiency, and photosynthetic pigments were significantly higher in some wild species compared to the cultivated species. In addition, some wild species showed better photochemical efficiency of PSII, photochemical quenching, and electron transport rate in comparison to cultivated one. Furthermore, leaf dry matter accumulation and tuber yield was also higher in some wild species compared to the cultivated species. Taken together, the wild species, such as D. oppositifolia, D. hamiltonii, and D. pubera, showed the superior photosynthetic efficiency compared to the cultivated D. alata and they could be used for future crop improvement programs.

We tested whether cheap and quick chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence can be used in ecophysiological field studies as proxies for gas-exchange measurements. We measured net photosynthetic rate at saturating irradiance and ambient atmospheric CO₂ concentrations (P_Nsat), maximum carboxylation rate (V_cmax), maximum quantum yield of PSII (F_v/F_m), the performance index (PIabs), leaf nitrogen (Narea), and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ¹³C) within four herbaceous species along two elevational gradients. We analysed the relationship between Chl fluorescence and gas-exchange parameters and their link to indirect assessment of plant performance via ecophysiological traits. F_v/F_m showed no relationship to P_Nsat and only weak relationships to V_cmax. PI_abs was positively related to P_Nsat and V_cmax. PI_abs, P_Nsat, and V_cmax were positively associated with N_area and negatively to Δ¹³C, whereas F_v/F_m showed no relationship to Narea and a positive to Δ¹³C. Thus, PIabs might be suitable to characterize the photosynthetic activity when aiming on large numbers of samples.

Water availability is a major limiting factor in desert ecosystems. However, a winter snowfall role in the growth of biological soil crusts is still less investigated. Here, four snow treatments were designed to evaluate the effects of snow depth on photosynthesis and physiological characteristics of biological soil crusts. Results showed that snow strongly affected the chlorophyll fluorescence properties. The increased snow depth led to increased contents of photosynthetic pigments and soluble proteins. However, all biological soil crusts also exhibited a decline in malondialdehyde and soluble sugar contents as snow increased. Results demonstrated that different biological soil crusts exhibited different responses to snow depth treatment due to differences in their morphological characteristics and microhabitat. In addition, interspecies differentiation in response to snow depth treatment might affect the survival of some biological soil crusts. Further, this influence might lead to changes in the structural composition and functional communities of biological soil crusts.

Ascorbic acid (Asc) is a major plant antioxidant. L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH) is an enzyme that catalyzes the last step of Asc biosynthesis in higher plants. Effects of endogenous Asc on resistance to high-temperature stress were studied by using GLDH-overexpressed (GO-2) and GLDH-suppressed transgenic rice (GI-2) as experimental materials. After high-temperature treatment, the maximal quantum yield of PSII was significantly lower in GI-2, and higher in GO-2 compared to wild type rice. The content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was the highest in GI-2. The higher Asc content resulted in lower lipid peroxidation in GO-2. The contents of chlorophyll, soluble proteins, and Rubisco large and small subunit were positively correlated to the Asc content. These results show that the higher Asc content reduced the accumulation of ROS and maintained the function of rice leaves. We suggest that the higher Asc content could improve the rice resistance to high-temperature stress.

The aim of our study was to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of exogenously supplied trehalose affecting wheat photosynthesis under heat stress. The amount of ATP synthase (ATPase), oxygen-evolving enhancer protein (OEE), PsbP, Rubisco, chloroplast fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (FBPA), and ferredoxin-NADP(H) oxidoreductase (FNR) were downregulated, while PSI reaction center subunits were upregulated under heat stress. However, in the trehalose-pretreated groups, the amount of FNR, cytochrome b₆f complex, PSI reaction center subunits, ATPase, FBPA, and Rubisco were upregulated under normal growth conditions and heat stress. Besides, during the recovery period, the upregulation in CAB, PsbP, OEE2, and ATPase suggested that trehalose pretreatment might help to the recovery of PSII and PSI. These results indicate that trehalose pretreatment effectively regulates the levels of the photosynthesis-related proteins and relieves the damage of heat stress to wheat chloroplast.

This work aimed to evaluate if chilling stress may be mitigated by elevated CO₂ (EC) in Beta vulgaris L. plants. Photosynthetic rate was measured at 21% and 2% O₂ after a short-term exposure of 5 h at four different treatments: 360 μmol(CO₂) mol^-1/25°C (AC); 360 μmol(CO₂) mol^-1/4°C (AC+LT); 700 μmol(CO₂) mol^-1/25°C (EC); 700 μmol(CO₂) mol-1/4°C (EC+LT). Compared to AC+LT, EC+LT plants showed higher values of CO₂ fixation, photochemical activity, and Rubisco amount. These latter invest a higher portion of photosynthetic electron flow to O₂, differently from AC+LT plants that promote the regulated thermal dissipation processes. In EC+LT plants, the photosynthetic electron flow to O₂ acts as a safety mechanism against the excess of absorbed light, upon return to prechilling conditions, allowing photosynthetic apparatus to maintain its efficiency. In AC+LT plants, the increase of thermal dissipation processes was not adequate to guarantee the PSII photoprotection and the photosynthetic recovery after chilling.

Growth and physiological responses of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars with different phosphorus (P) efficiencies under variable P environment are poorly known. Therefore, this study explored effects of normal P [P⁺, 70 kg(P₂O₅) ha^-1] and without P (P^-, 0 kg ha^-1) on yield, growth, and physiology of different P-efficient cultivars [low-efficient Xinluzao 13 (L1) and Xinluzao 26 (L₂); medium-efficient Xinluzao 10 (M₁) and Xinluzao 24 (M₂); high-efficient Zhongmiansuo 42 (H₁) and Xinluzao19 (H₂)]. Cotton growth and yield was higher in H₁ and H₂ cultivars under P⁺ compare to P^-. Leaf photosynthesis, intercellular CO₂ concentration, stomatal conductance, and net assimilation rate increased under P⁺ and in high-efficient cultivars. Greater Rubisco activity and higher soluble sugar content further promoted P uptake and utilization efficiency which resulted in a higher yield under normal P₊ than that at P_- treatment. High-P-efficient cultivars have the potential to increase the yield by improving cotton growth and physiological attributes under P₊.

Six genotypes of taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) were evaluated under in vitro and in vivo polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000)-mediated osmotic stress conditions. A significant variation in growth response was observed among the taro genotypes under in vitro-induced stress conditions. In vivo results indicated a significant effect of osmotic stress on photosynthetic parameters, such as net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, stomatal resistance, internal CO₂ concentration, carboxylation efficiency, and transpiration efficiency on the tested genotypes at the tuberization stage. Lesser variations in photosynthesis and higher accumulation of proline, phenols, and antioxidative enzymes, namely, superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase, were associated with yield maintenance under osmotic stress conditions. The genotypes DP-89, IGCOL-4, and Ramhipur showed a higher degree of tolerance towards osmotic stress with a minimum variation in the studied parameters. These genotypes could be lines of interest for intensification of breeding strategies to develop drought-tolerant plants.

The chilling and light stresses were experimentally created to explore photosynthesis of Fraxinus mandshurica seedlings in northeast China. Net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate decreased significantly with the decline of temperature and light. Significant interaction effects of light and chilling were observed on gas exchange of photosynthesis. The minimal fluorescence yield of the dark-adapted state (F₀) increased with increasing light and decreasing temperature. Both high and low light stresses induced the decreases of the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (F_v/F_m), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), and electron transport rate. Decline of F_v/F_m and increased F₀ were observed under decreasing temperatures. Decreased NPQ and qP at frost temperature suggest that F. mandschurica failed to dissipate excess light energy. No interactive effects of chilling and light on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters suggests that F. mandschurica seedlings might be adapted to combined stresses of light and chilling.

Dependence of ATP hydrolysis kinetics by the chloroplast coupling factor (CF₁) on medium viscosity was studied at varying temperatures. For samples with oxidized and reduced CF₁ γ-subunit, this dependence was shown to be described by Cramers' relationship k ~ (η/η_o)-n, where k is the reaction rate constant, η/η_o is the medium/water viscosity ratio, and 0 < n < 1. Transition of the γ-subunit from its reduced to oxidized state was accompanied by increasing n value, which is indicative of increasing friction losses between certain enzyme sections and the solution. The increased medium viscosity produced no effect on the reaction activation energy which appeared to be almost the same for the both enzyme states. The molecular mechanisms responsible for CF₁ activity loss in viscous media are discussed.

Morpho-physiological and biochemical analyses were carried out in eight diverse indigenous muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) genotypes exposed to different degrees of water deficit (WD). The ability of genotypes MM-7, and especially MM-6, to counteract better the negative effect of WD was associated with maintaining higher relative water content (RWC), photosynthetic rate, efficiency of PSII, and photosynthetic pigments compare to other genotypes. Furthermore, MM-6 showed a better ability to maintain cellular homeostasis than the others. It was indicated by a stimulated antioxidative defense system, i.e., higher activities of antioxidant enzymes, accumulation of nonenzymatic antioxidants together with lower concentration of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde. However, the genotypes MM-2 and MM-5 suffered greatly due to WD and showed reduced RWC, photosynthetic rates, pigment content, and exhibited higher oxidative stress observed as lower antioxidant enzyme activities.

Changes in the temperature dependence of the maximum carboxylation capacity (V_Cmax) of Rubisco during thermal acclimation of P_N remain controversial. I tested for acclimation of the temperature dependence of V_Cmax in quinoa, wheat, and alfalfa. Plants were grown with day/night temperatures of 12/6, 20/14, and 28/22°C. Responses of PN to substomatal CO₂ (C_i) and CO₂ at Rubisco (C_c) were measured at leaf temperatures of 10-30°C. V_Cmax was determined from the initial slope of the P_Nvs. C_i or C_c curve. Slopes of linear regressions of 1/V_Cmaxvs. 1/T [K] provided estimates the activation energy. In wheat and alfalfa the increases in activation energy with growth temperature calculated using C_i did not always occur when using C_c, indicating the importance of mesophyll conductance when estimating the activation energy. However, in quinoa, the mean activation energy approximately doubled between the lowest and highest growth temperatures, whether based on C_i or C_c.

The effects of exogenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP), as nitric oxide donor, and spermidine (Spd) on growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Bakraii seedlings (Citrus reticulata × Citrus limetta) were studied under NaCl stress. In citrus plants, SNP- and Spd-induced growth improvement was found to be associated with reduced electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide content, and leaf Na⁺ and Cl^- concentration. However, we found increased leaf Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and K⁺ concentrations, relative water content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, such as ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase, as well as higher photosynthetic rate, intercellular CO₂ concentration, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate under saline regime. Foliar application of SNP and Spd alone mitigated the adverse effect of salinity, while the combined application proved to be even more effective.

To investigate the effects of atmospheric CO₂ enrichment on physiology and autumnal leaf phenology, we exposed 3-year-old sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) seedlings to 800 (A8), 600 (A6), and 400 μL(CO₂) L^-1 (AA) in nine continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) chambers during the growing season of 2014. Leaf abscission timing, abscised leaf area percentages, leaf number, light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (P_Nmax), leaf area, accumulative growth rates, and biomass were determined and assessed. The results suggested the following: (1) no significant differences were found in the timing of leaf abscission in the three CO₂-concentration treatments; (2) P_Nmax was continuously stimulated to the greatest extent in A8 at 319% and 160% in A6 until the end of the growing season, respectively; and (3) leaf number, leaf area, and accumulative height growth all significantly increased by elevated CO₂, which led to a 323% increase in A8 biomass and 235% in A6 biomass after 156-d fumigation. In summary, the results suggest, the timing of leaf abscission of sugar maple in fall was not modified by CO₂ enrichment, the increased carbon gain by elevated CO₂ was mainly due to increased leaf area, more leaves, and the continuously enhanced high photosynthesis throughout the growing season instead of the leaf life span.

The microalga Haematococcus pluvialis is a biotechnologically important microorganism producing a ketocarotenoid astaxanthin. Haematococcus exists either as metabolically active vegetative cells with a high chlorophyll content or astaxanthin-rich haematocysts (aplanospores). This microalga featuring outstanding tolerance to a wide range of adverse conditions is a highly suitable model for studies of freezing tolerance in phototrophs. The retention of H. pluvialis cell viability after freezing-thawing is ascribed to elevated antioxidant enzyme activity and high ketocarotenoid content. However, we report that only haematocysts characterized by a lower photosynthetic activity were resistant to freezing-thawing even without cryoprotectant addition. The key factors of haematocyst freezing tolerance were assumed to be a low water content, rigid cell walls, reduction of the membranous structures, photosynthesis downregulation, and low chlorophyll content. Collectively, viability of Haematoccus after freezing-thawing can be improved by forcing the transition of vegetative cells to freeze-tolerant haematocysts before freezing.

A hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate bioaccumulation and photosynthetic activity response to Cd in sweet sorghum seedlings. The seedlings were treated with 0, 50, and 100 μM Cd for 15 d. Our results showed that morphological characteristics of sweet sorghum were significantly affected by Cd treatments. The Cd concentrations in roots and shoots increased with increasing Cd concentrations in the nutrition solution; higher Cd accumulation was observed in the roots. Meanwhile, the photosynthetic activity decreased significantly and a shape of chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence transient in leaves was altered by Cd treatments. The Chl contents in the leaves decreased significantly, which was demonstrated by a change of spectral reflectance. Our data indicated that the higher Cd concentration reduced Chl contents and inhibited electron transport in the leaves, leading to the decrease of photosynthetic activity.

In this study, we chose apple leaf as plant material and studied effects of GeO₂ on operation of photosynthetic apparatus and antioxidant enzyme activities under strong light. When exogenous GeO₂ concentration was below 5.0 mg L^-1, maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII and actual quantum yield of PSII photochemistry increased significantly compared with the control under irradiances of 800 and 1,600 μmol(photon) m^-2 s^-1. Photosynthetic electron transport chain capacity between Q_A-Q_B, Q_A-PSI acceptor, and Q_B-PSI acceptor showed a trend of rising up with 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 mg(GeO₂) L^-1 and declining with 10.0 mg(GeO₂) L^-1. On the other hand, dissipated energy via both ΔpH and xanthophyll cycle decreased remarkably compared with the control when GeO₂ concentration was below 5.0 mg L^-1. Our results suggested that low concentrations of GeO₂ could alleviate photoinhibition and 5.0 mg(GeO₂) L^-1 was the most effective. In addition, we found, owing to exogenous GeO₂ treatment, that the main form of this element in apple leaves was organic germanium, which means chemical conversion of germanium happened. The organic germanium might be helpful to allay photoinhibition due to its function of scavenging free radicals and lowering accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which was proven by higher antioxidant enzyme activities.

A field study was conducted with the aim to elucidate photosynthetic responses of five emmer hulled wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum) accessions to 30 (N-limited) and 100 kg(N) ha^-1 (N-sufficient) conditions at control and drought stress (irrigation after 30-40% and 60-70% depletion of available soil water, respectively). Chlorophyll (Chl) a and Chl b concentrations of the emmer wheats remained unchanged but net photosynthetic rate and dry mass increased and decreased, respectively, when received a sufficient amount of N. Smaller drought-induced decreases in Chl concentration, membrane stability index, and dry mass were concomitant to a greater decrease in intercellular CO₂ concentration of emmer compared to the durum (Triticum turgidum) and bread wheats (Triticum aestivum). The lack of negative effect of insufficient N on Chl concentration and dry mass of emmer wheat suggests that this type of wheat possesses an obvious potential for organic farming.

Salicylic acid (SA) and nitric oxide (NO) form a new group of plant growth substances that cooperatively interact to promote plant growth and productivity. Water deficit (WD) stress is a major limiting factor for photosynthesis, which in turn limits crop yield. However, the mechanism of SA and NO in stimulating photosynthesis has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the SA- and NO-mediated photosynthetic adaptability of maize seedlings to WD in terms of photosynthetic parameters, activities and mRNA levels of CO₂ assimilation enzymes. Our results showed that SA alleviated the WD-induced reduction of photosynthetic performance. The activities of Rubisco and Rubisco activase enzymes increased significantly due to SA pretreatment. Moreover, higher transcription rates of Rbc L, ZmRCAα and ZmRCAβ mRNA further confirmed the effects of SA on CO₂ assimilation. WD or SA-induced decreases or increases of CO₂ assimilation ability were further decreased after c-PTIO addition.

Specific leaf area (SLA) is a key trait to screen plants for ecological performance and productivity; however, the relationship between SLA and photosynthesis is not always up-scalable to growth when comparing multiple species with different life cycles. We explored leaf anatomy in annual and perennial species of Physaria, and related it to photosynthesis and water loss. The annual Physaria gracilis had higher SLA, thinner leaves, and lower investment in protective tissues, than perennial P. mendocina. Physaria angustifolia (annual), and P. pinetorum (perennial) showed intermediate values. Both perennials had a thicker palisade and high photosynthesis, relative to annuals. The larger leaf veins of perennials should allow high water availability to the mesophyll. The thicker palisade should determine high resistance to water flow and help explain their high water-use efficiency. These leaf functions reflect the construction of long-lived leaves that efficiently use resources under environmental limitations of arid environments.

Drought stress causes changes in vein and stomatal density. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) if the changes in vein and stomatal density are coordinated in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and (2) how these changes affect water-use efficiency (WUE). The results showed significant positive correlations between vein density and stomatal density when cotton was grown under different degrees of drought stress. WUE was significantly positively correlated with the densities of both veins and stomata. Stomatal pore area and stomatal density on the abaxial leaf side, but not the adaxial side, were significantly correlated with WUE, stomatal conductance, leaf net photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate. In conclusion, coordinated changes in vein and stomatal density improve the WUE of cotton under drought stress. The abaxial leaf side plays a more important role than the adaxial side in WUE and gas exchange.

Populus × euramericana cv. 'Neva' is an important tree species in northern China. In the study, we used its potted oneyear- old seedlings as experimental material and established three treatments (CK, 0.5X, and 1.0X) according to the concentrations of phenolic acids in order to examine the effects of different concentrations on the photosynthetic characteristics and growth of poplar. With increasing concentrations of phenolic acids, the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal limitation, transpiration rate, apparent quantum yield, photochemical quenching coefficient, electron transport rate, chlorophyll content, and total biomass decreased significantly. The intercellular CO₂ concentration, light-compensation point, nonphotochemical quenching, malondialdehyde content, and root/shoot ratio increased significantly. Peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities initially decreased and then increased. We concluded that phenolic acids significantly inhibited poplar's photosynthesis and the higher phenolic acid concentration, the greater inhibition of photosynthesis occurred. This inhibition effect was mainly caused by nonstomatal factors. Phenolic acids induced noticeable photoinhibition, resulted in the irreversible damage of membrane structure, and then changed intracellular metabolic processes. To cope with phenolic acid stress, poplar seedlings increased dissipation of excess light energy and distributed relatively more biomass to underground parts within carbon allocation.

Caffeine, a purine alkaloid, is reported to act both as an inducer or inhibitor to plant growth in various species. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of exogenous caffeine on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants, a plant that does not naturally synthesise caffeine. A hydroponic experiment was carried out in a growth chamber for 14 d using Hoagland's solution supplemented with 0 (control), 25, 50, 100, 1,000; and 5,000 μM caffeine. None of the investigated caffeine concentrations significantly decreased the net photosynthetic rate except the highest concentrations of 1,000 and 5,000 μM. Light microscopy of thick-sectioned roots showed that 1,000 μM and 5,000 μM caffeine-treated plants possessed deformed epidermal cells, reduced number of cortical cells, and deformed vascular tissues with cells exhibiting thickened xylem walls as compared with control plants. Moreover, transmission electron micrographs of roots revealed that mitochondria and the plasma membrane were affected.

LED lamps with various combinations of red (R) and blue (B) wavelengths were used to supplement sunlight for the growth of a heat-resistant (HR) and heat-sensitive (HS) recombinant inbred lines (RIL) of lettuce. The RB-LED ratios were 100R:0B (0B), 92R:8B (8B), 84R:16B (16B), and 76R:24B (24B) with an equal PPFD of 100 μmol m^-2 s^-1. The greatest leaf expansion rates were observed at 8B for both genotypes. All HR-RILs had similar values of growth parameters and specific leaf area (SLA). However, higher values of growth parameters were observed in HS-RIL with 0B, 8B, and 16B than that under 24B and sunlight. Furthermore, HS-RIL had higher SLA under 0B compared to other conditions. Photosynthetic light-use efficiency and maximal oxygen evolution rate were the lowest under 8B for both genotypes. The quality of LED lighting, if provided, seemed to implicate genotype dependence, probably as a result of their different sensitivities to heat stress.

In this study, we investigated maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry(F_v/F_m),effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Φ_PSII), and nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) of walnut (Juglans regia 'Xinxin2') leaves with different leaf-to-fruit ratios (LFRs). The results indicated that the increasing LFR increased the values of F_v/F_m, Φ_PSII, and NPQ in leaves on the girdled shoot with one and two leaves, and decreased the values of F_v/F_m and Φ_PSII in leaves on the girdled shoot with five leaves, whereas had no effect on the chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence in leaves on the girdled shoot with three and four leaves. These results indicate that the effects of LFR on Chl fluorescence depend on a LFR range and show a transitional trend transition, and that excessive fruit load accelerates leaf senescence resulting in the destruction of the reaction center in PSII.

Macroalgae must be able to survive in conditions of different light intensities with no damage to their physiological performance or vital processes. Irradiance can stimulate the biosynthesis of certain photoprotective compounds of biotechnological interest, such as pigments and proteins. Pterocladiella capillacea is a shade-grown alga, which play a role key in the balance of marine ecosystems. In addition, it is considered one of the best sources of bacteriological agar and agarose with a wide pharmacological potential. In order to evaluate the photosensitivity in P. capillacea under 60 (control) and moderate light intensity of 300 μmol(photon) m^-2 s^-1, photosynthetic performance and chemical composition were assessed. P. capillacea showed photosensitivity without evidence of photodamage. The results indicate the possibility to increase a growth rate and probably infer productivity in long-term cultivation by stimulation at moderate light intensity. Increasing photosynthetic pigment and protein contents were also observed under medium light, an interesting result for functional ingredient approaches.