Photosynthetic recovery of a perennial grass Leymus chinensis after different periods of soil drought

Abstract

The effects of rewatering after different periods of soil drought stress on the photosynthetic capacity of Leymus chinensis in pots were investigated. The plants were subjected to short-term (10-d), moderate-term (20-day) and long-term (30-d) drought each followed by rewatering. Control plants were well watered during the experimental periods. The long-term water stress without rewatering decreased the chlorophyll content, Chl a/b ratio, carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity, net photosynthetic rate (A), and leaf area compared with the control. Rewatering increased the ratio of Chl a/b, CA activity and A, but decreased the leaf area and ion leakage from the cut leaf pieces. The long-term water stress without rewatering reduced the maximal efficiency of PSII (Fv/F m), the actual quantum yield (Φp), and photochemical quenching (qp), but these values were increased by rewatering to more than the control level, though non-photochemical quenching (qN) was decreased as compared with the control. This implied that long-term drought aggravated PSII, but rewatering improved it. The net CO2-exchange rate showed similar diurnal changes in all treatments, but the rate in the morning was lower in long-term drought (before rewatering) than in the other treatments. These results suggest the photosynthesis of Leymus chinensis may be well adapted to episodical soil drought.