Photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2 in relation to leaf saccharide constituents in wheat and sunflower

Abstract

Wheat (T. durum cvs. HD 4502 and B 449, T. aestivum cvs. Kalyansona and Kundan) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv. Morden) were grown under atmospheric (360±10 cm3 m-3, AC) and elevated CO2 (650±50 cm3 m-3, EC) concentration in open top chambers for entire period of growth and development till maturity. Leaf net photosynthetic rate (PN) of EC-grown plants of wheat measured at EC was significantly decreased in comparison with AC-plants of wheat measured at EC. Sunflower, however, showed no significant depression in PN in EC-plants. There was a decrease in ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPC) activity, its activation state and amount in EC-plants of wheat, whereas no significant decrease was observed in sunflower. The above different acclimation to EC in wheat and sunflower was related with saccharide constituents accumulated in the leaves. Under EC, sunflower accumulated in the leaves more starch, whereas wheat accumulated more sugars.