Ionic and osmotic effects of salinity on single-leaf photosynthesis in two wheat cultivars with different drought tolerance

Abstract

The effects of iso-osmotic salinity and drought stresses on leaf net photosynthetic rate (PN) in two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars BR 8 and Norin 61, differing in drought tolerance, were compared. In drought-sensitive Norin 61, the decline of PN was larger than that in drought-tolerant BR 8. Under NaCl treatment, PN decreased in two phases similarly in both cultivars. In the first phase, photosynthetic depression was gradual without any photochemical changes. In the second phase, photosynthetic depression was rapid and accompanied with a decline of the energy conversion efficiency in photosystem 2 (ΦPS2). Our observations suggest that the osmotic factor may induce a gradual depression of photosynthesis due to stomatal closure under both stress treatments. However, under NaCl treatment, a ionic factor (uptake and accumulation of excess Na+) may have direct effects on electron transport and cause more severe photosynthetic depression. The drought tolerance mechanism of BR 8 was insufficient to maintain single-leaf photosynthesis under salinity.