Whole-plant and Single-leaf Photosynthesis of Strawberry under Various Environmental Conditions

Abstract

Photosynthesis is a crucial process for the existence, development, and productivity of crops. Appropriate measurements should be met to evaluate and control the photosynthesis quality accurately. In this study, we presented advantages and compared the results from two measurement methods used on strawberry plants, namely, the single-leaf method (SL), and the whole-plant method (Wp). The leaf age of 12-15 days, optimal in the area and photosynthetic potential, were suitable to measure a representative leaf by the single-leaf method. The Wp showed the complete patterns and trends of whole-plant photosynthesis under different environmental conditions while this was a restriction in the SL. However, the light response curve patterns showed no differences regardless of measurement methods. The photosynthetic values between the two methods were only significant differences under low CO2 and PPFD. The limitations of SL were mainly from the manners and measurement conditions, which led to significant differences with the Wp. In conclusion, we believe that the whole-plant method may be the most suitable, nonetheless, the single-leaf method is still high valid if there are appropriate manners.