Photosynthetic limitation as a factor influencing yield in highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) grown in a northern European environment
| Autor: | Antonios Petridis, Julie Graham, Jeroen van der Kaay, Elina Chrysanthou, Susan McCallum, Robert D. Hancock |
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| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine Physiology Starch Blueberry Plants Plant Science Photosynthetic efficiency Photosynthesis 01 natural sciences complex mixtures Sink (geography) carbon assimilation 03 medical and health sciences chemistry.chemical_compound Carbon assimilation 2. Zero hunger geography geography.geographical_feature_category biology starch fungi food and beverages Ripening 15. Life on land carbon storage biology.organism_classification equipment and supplies sink tissues yield Research Papers Plant Leaves Horticulture 030104 developmental biology corymbosum chemistry Scotland Fruit bacteria 13CO2-labelling Light irradiance Vaccinium 010606 plant biology & botany Photosynthesis and Metabolism |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Experimental Botany |
| ISSN: | 1460-2431 |
| Popis: | Photosynthetic limitation under a northern European environment precludes carbon storage and drives fruit abortion in blueberries causing yield instability. This highlights the need to develop cultivars adapted to maritime environments. Published evidence indicates that nearly 60% of blueberry-producing countries experience yield instability. Yield is a complex trait determined by genetic and environmental factors. Here, using physiological and biochemical approaches, we tested the hypothesis that yield instability results from year-to-year environmental variation that limits carbon assimilation, storage and partitioning. The data indicate that fruit development depends primarily on the daily production of non-structural carbohydrates by leaves, and there is no accumulation of a starch buffer to allow continuous ripening under conditions limiting for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis was saturated at moderate light irradiance and this was mainly due to stomatal and biochemical limitations. In a dynamic light environment, photosynthesis was further limited by slow stomatal response to increasing light. Finally, labelling with 13CO2 at specific stages of fruit development revealed a relatively even distribution of newly assimilated carbon between stems, roots and fruits, suggesting that the fruit is not a strong sink. We conclude that a significant component of yield variability results from limitations in photosynthetic efficiency that are compounded by an inability to accumulate starch reserves in blueberry storage tissues in a typical northern European environment. This work informs techniques for improving agronomic management and indicates key traits required for yield stability in such environments. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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