Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Photosynthesis of individual field-grown cotton leaves during ontogeny

  • Regular Paper
  • Published:
Photosynthesis Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Photosynthetic characteristics of field-grown cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) leaves were determined at several insertion levels within the canopy during the growing season. Single-leaf measurements of net photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance to CO2 (gs·CO2), substomatal CO2, leaf area expansion, leaf nitrogen, and light intensity (PPFD) were recorded for undisturbed leaves within the crop canopy at 3–4 day intervals during the development of all leaves at main-stem nodes 8, 10, and 12. Patterns of Pn during leaf ontogeny exhibited three distinct phases; a rapid increase to maximum at 16–20 days after leaf unfolding, a relatively short plateau, and a period of linear decline to negligible Pn at 60–65 days. Analysis of the parameters which contributed to the rise and fall pattern of Pn with leaf age indicated the primary involvement of leaf area expansion, leaf nitrogen, PPFD, and gs·CO2 in this process. The response of Pn and gs·CO2 to incident PPFD conditions during canopy development was highly age dependent. For leaves less than 16 days old, the patterns of Pn and gs·CO2 were largely controlled by non-PPFD factors, while for older leaves Pn and gs·CO2 were more closely coupled to PPFD-mediated processes. Maximum values of Pn were not significantly different for any of the leaves monitored in this study, however, those leaves at main-stem node 8 did possess a significantly diminished photosynthetic capacity with age compared to upper canopy leaves. This accelerated decline in Pn could not be explained by age-related variations in gs·CO2 since all leaves showed similar changes in gs·CO2 with leaf age.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

gs·CO2 :

stomatal conductance to CO2

Pn:

net photosynthesis

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

References

  1. Bunce JA (1985) Effects of weather during leaf development on photosynthesis characteristics of soybean leaves. Photosynth Res 6:215–220

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bunce JA (1986) Measurement and modeling of photosynthesis in field crops. Crit Rev Plant Sci 4:47–77

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bunce JA (1988) Mutual shading and the photosynthetic capacity of exposed leaves of field grown soybeans. Photosynth Res 15:75–83

    Google Scholar 

  4. Christy AL and Porter CA (1982) Canopy photosynthesis and yield in soybean, pp. 499–511. In: Govindjee (ed) Photosynthesis: Development, Carbon, Metabolism and Plant Productivity, Vol II. New York: Academic Press

    Google Scholar 

  5. Constable GA and Rawson HM (1980) Effect of leaf position, expansion and age on photosynthesis, transpiration and water use efficiency in cotton. Aust J Plant Physiol 7:89–100

    Google Scholar 

  6. Crafts-Brandner SJ and Poneleit CG (1987) Effect of ear removal on CO2 exchange and activities of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities, and kernel growth characteristics of maize hybrids and inbred lines. Plant Physiol 84:261–265

    Google Scholar 

  7. Davis SD and McCree KJ (1978) Photosynthetic rate and diffusion conductance as a function of age in leaves of bean plants. Crop Sci 18:280–282

    Google Scholar 

  8. Dwyer LM and Stewart DW (1986) Effect of leaf age and position on net photosynthesis rates in maize. Agric Forest Meteorol 37:29–46

    Google Scholar 

  9. Evans JR (1983) Nitrogen and photosynthesis in the flag leaf of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Plant Physiol 72:297–302

    Google Scholar 

  10. Field CB (1987) Leaf-age effects on stomatal conductance, pp. 367–384. In: Zeiger E, Farquhar GD and Cowan IR (eds) Stomatal Function. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ford DM and Shibles R (1988) Photosynthesis and other traits in relation to chloroplast number during soybean leaf senescence. Plant Physiol 86:108–111

    Google Scholar 

  12. Gordon AJ, Hesketh JD and Peters DB (1982) Soybean leaf photosynthesis in relation to maturity classification and stage of growth. Photosynth Res 3:81–93

    Google Scholar 

  13. Hearn AB (1969) Growth and performance of cotton in a desert environment. I. Morphological development of the crop. J Agric Sci 73:65–74

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hsiao TC (1973) Plant responses to water stress. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 24:519–570

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kennedy RA and Johnson D (1981) Changes in photosynethetic characteristics during leaf development in apple. Photosynth Res 2:213–223

    Google Scholar 

  16. Krieg DR (1988) Leaf age-gas exchange characteristics, pp. 55–57. Proc Beltwide Cotton Prod Res Conf, Nashville, TN

  17. Mauney JR (1986) Vegetative growth and development of fruiting sites, pp. 11–28. In: Mauney JR and Stewart JM (eds) Cotton Physiology. The Cotton Foundation, Memphis, TN.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Nelson DW and Sommers LE (1973) Determination of total nitrogen in plant material. Agron J 65:109–112

    Google Scholar 

  19. Roper TR, Keller JD, Loescher WH and Rom CR (1988) Photosynthesis and carbohydrate partitioning in sweet cherry: fruiting effects. Physiol Plant 72:42–47

    Google Scholar 

  20. Schulze ED (1986) Carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange in response to drought in the atmosphere and in the soil. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 37:247–274

    Google Scholar 

  21. Schulze ED and Hall AE (1982) Stomatal responses, water loss and CO2 assimilation rates of plants in contrasting environments, pp. 181–230. In: Lange OL, Nobel PS, Osmond C and Zeigler H (eds) Physiological Plant Ecology. III. Water Relations and Carbon Assimilation. Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology. Vol 12B. Berlin: Springer-Verlag

    Google Scholar 

  22. Wells R, Ashley DA and Boerma HR (1986a) Physiological comparison of two soybean cultivars differing in canopy photosynthesis. I. Variation in vertical 14CO2 labelling and dry weight partitioning. Photosynth Res 9:285–294

    Google Scholar 

  23. Wells R, Meredith WRJr and Williford JR (1986b) Canopy photosynthesis and its relationship to plant productivity in near-isogenic cotton lines differing in leaf morphology. Plant Physiol 82:635–640

    Google Scholar 

  24. Wells R (1988) Response of leaf ontogeny and photosynthetic activity to reproductive growth in cotton. Plant Physiol 87:274–279

    Google Scholar 

  25. Wullschleger SD and Oosterhuis DM (1989) Photosynthetic carbon production and utilization by cotton in relation to leaf and boll development (in preparation).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Altheimer Laboratory, Department of Agronomy, University of Arkansas, 72703, Fayetteville, AR, U.S.A.

    Stan D. Wullschleger & Derrick M. Oosterhuis

Authors
  1. Stan D. Wullschleger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Derrick M. Oosterhuis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wullschleger, S.D., Oosterhuis, D.M. Photosynthesis of individual field-grown cotton leaves during ontogeny. Photosynth Res 23, 163–170 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00035007

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00035007

Key words

Search

Navigation