Different responses of two Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) cultivars in photosynthetic characteristics and chloroplast ultrastructure to salt and alkali stress

• Published in: Planta 2021-11, Vol.254 (5), p.1-20, Article 102
• Main Authors: Li, Na, Zhang, Zhihuan, Gao, Song, Lv, Yao, Chen, Zijing, Cao, Bili, Xu, Kun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abiotic stress; Agriculture; Alkalies; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brassica; Brassica oleracea; Brassica rapa; Carbohydrates; China; Chinese cabbage; Chloroplasts; Crop yield; Cultivars; Ecology; Fluorescence; Forestry; Leaves; Life Sciences; Organic acids; Organic matter; ORIGINAL ARTICLE; Photochemicals; Photosynthesis; Photosystem II; Plant Sciences; Salinity tolerance; Salinization; Salt tolerance; Soil salinity; Stomata; Stomatal conductance; Stress, Physiological; Ultrastructure; Water use; Water use efficiency
• ISSN: 0032-0935; 1432-2048
• DOI: 10.1007/s00425-021-03754-6

Soil salinization has become an increasingly serious ecological problem, which limits the quality and yield of crops. As an important economic vegetable in winter, however, little is known about the response of Chinese cabbage to salt, alkali and salt–alkali stress in photosynthetic characteristics and chloroplast ultrastructure. Thus, two Chinese cabbage cultivars, ‘Qinghua’ (salt-tolerant–alkali-sensitive) and ‘Biyu’ (salt-sensitive–alkali-tolerant) were investigated under stresses to clarify the similarities and differences between salt tolerance and alkali tolerance pathways in Chinese cabbage. We found that the root of Qinghua, the leaf ultrastructure and net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), water use efficiency (WUE), maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) and nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) were not affected by salt stress. However, Biyu was seriously affected under salt stress. Its growth indexes decreased by between 60 and 30% compared with the control and the photosynthetic indexes were also seriously affected under salt stress. This indicated that the salt-tolerant cultivar Qinghua improved the photosynthetic fluorescence ability to promote the synthesis of organic matter resulting in salt tolerance. In contrast, under alkali treatment, the root of Biyu was affected by alkali stress, but could still maintain good growth, and root and leaf structure were not seriously affected and could maintain the normal operations. Biyu improved its tolerance by improving the water use efficiency, regulating the synthesis of organic acids and carbohydrates, ensuring the synthesis of organic matter and ensured the normal growth of the plant.