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The photosynthetic parameters of cucumber as affected by irradiances with different red:far-red ratios

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Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

We compared photosynthetic performance between cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) leaves acclimated to saturating irradiances with high red: far red (R:FR = 10) and normal R:FR (= 1.4) ratios. The net photosynthetic rate (PN) and stomatal conductance (gs) of the leaves acclimated to high R:FR were greater than those of the leaves acclimated to normal R:FR; the greater gs partly explains the greater PN. The greater gs of the high-R:FR-leaves probably resulted from a higher stomatal density and/or a greater size. PN of the high R:FR leaves was still greater than that of the normal R:FR leaves at the same intercellular CO2 concentration (ci). This indicates that non-stomatal factors also increased the photosynthetic capacity of the high R:FR leaves. The maximum Rubisco carboxylase activity estimated from a PN-ci curve analysis was also greater in the high R:FR leaves, however, the intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi = PN/gs) of the high R:FR leaves was lower than that of the normal R:FR leaves.

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Abbreviations

ci :

intercellular CO2 concentration

gs :

stomatal conductance

LMA:

dry leaf mass per unit area

PN :

net photosynthetic rate

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

R:FR:

red:far-red ratio

Vcmax :

maximum Rubisco carboxylase activity

WUEi :

intrinsic water-use efficiency

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka, 5998531, Japan

    T. Shibuya, R. Endo & Y. Kitaya

  2. School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka, 5998531, Japan

    T. Yuba

Authors
  1. T. Shibuya
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  2. R. Endo
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  3. T. Yuba
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  4. Y. Kitaya
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Shibuya.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science [JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (General), 24380140]. The authors are grateful to Dr. Ryo Matsuda (The University of Tokyo) for helpful and stimulating suggestions.

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Shibuya, T., Endo, R., Yuba, T. et al. The photosynthetic parameters of cucumber as affected by irradiances with different red:far-red ratios. Biol Plant 59, 198–200 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-014-0473-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-014-0473-y

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