Effects of different levels of water stress on leaf photosynthetic characteristics and antioxidant enzyme activities of greenhouse tomato

• Published in: Photosynthetica 2016-03, Vol.54 (1), p.28-39
• Main Authors: Yuan, X. K, Yang, Z. Q, Li, Y. X, Liu, Q, Han, W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Catalase; Chlorophyll; crop yield; Developmental stages; Electron transfer; Enzymatic activity; enzyme activity; Enzymes; fluorescence; Gas exchange; greenhouse experimentation; Greenhouses; irrigation; Leaves; Life Sciences; Lipid peroxidation; Lipids; Moisture content; Original Papers; Peroxidase; Peroxidation; Photochemistry; Photosynthesis; Photosystem II; Plant growth; Plant Physiology; Radiation; respiratory rate; Soil water; soil water content; Solanum lycopersicum; Stomata; Stomatal conductance; Superoxide dismutase; Tomatoes; Water content; Water stress
• ISSN: 0300-3604; 1573-9058
• DOI: 10.1007/s11099-015-0122-5

Two greenhouse experiments were conducted in order to investigate the effects of different levels of water stress on gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, chlorophyll content, antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation, and yield of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Jinfen 2). Four levels of soil water content were used: control (75 to 80% of field water capacity), mild water stress (55 to 60%), moderate water stress (45 to 50%), and severe water stress (35 to 40%). The controlled irrigation was initiated from the third leaf stage until maturity. The results of two-year trials indicated that the stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, light-saturated photosynthetic rate, and saturation radiation decreased generally under all levels of water stress during all developmental stages, while compensation radiation and dark respiration rate increased generally. Water stress also declined maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, electron transfer rate, and effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, while nonphotochemical quenching increased in all developmental stages. All levels of water stress also caused a marked reduction of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll content in all developmental stages, while activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, and lipid peroxidation increased.