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Výsledky odrůdových zkoušek ječmene jarního a pšenice jarní pro ekologické zemědělství

Terrestrial ecosystems are expected to experience more intense and longer drought and heat-waves in the future. How these environmental factors and their interaction influence photosynthetic activity and water use efficiency remains, however, an open question. Since the photosynthetic activity determines yield response, we investigated gas-exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence traits of flag leaves in four winter wheat cultivars, including two genotypes widely grown in Central Europe and two genotypes considered as drought tolerant. Pot-grown plants were cultivated under natural field conditions until anthesis (DC 61). Subsequently, the plants were exposed to a set of temperature regimes with daily maxima of 26–41 °C (temperature treatment) and maximum soil water holding capacity above 70% and below 30% (drought treatment) using laboratory growth chambers. Primary photochemical reactions after 7 and 14 days of acclimation, measured as maximum quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry and total chlorophyll content, showed typical interactions of temperature and water availability resulting in an amplified response under combined influence of drought and temperatures above 35 °C. In contrast, drought and temperature treatment had only minor effects on content of epidermal flavonols. A dominant effect of drought over temperature on stomatal conductance (GSmax) was observed. Although substantial genotype-specific responses were found, reduced stomatal conductance resulted in significant decrease in light-saturated rates of CO2 assimilation (Amax) in all genotypes studied. The GSmax–Amax relationship, however, revealed limitation of CO2 uptake by other, non-stomatal processes at temperatures above 32 °C, particularly in the sensitive genotypes. Strong interaction of combined drought and temperature treatments was found on water use efficiency (WUE). Decline in WUE with increasing temperature was steeper in water-deficit than well-watered plants of all genotypes studied. Our results thus document a strong interactive effect of elevated temperature and drought on photosynthetic carbon uptake. Detected thresholds of sensitivity to combined drought and heat stress will contribute to improved modelling of wheat growth and production under expected future climate conditions.

Heat waves and drought periods are expected to become more frequent due to climate change. This may cause a critical decline in future crop yields. However, insufficient knowledge of the interactive effects of high temperature and drought stress at specific growth stages is the cause of numerous uncertainties in modeling impacts of climate change on field crop growth and yield. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of interactions between the short-term exposure (3 and 7 days) of two winter wheat genotypes to elevated temperature and drought stress on yield formation and photosynthetic parameters. Winter wheat plants grown under ambient conditions were subjected to four temperature regimes (with maxima at 26, 32, 35 and 38 °C) and drought in growth chambers at three critical growth stages (beginning of stem elongation – DC 31, beginning of anthesis – DC 61, and medium milk ripe – DC 75). The response of yield formation parameters was obviously modulated by variety and growth stage. Grain number was more affected by drought at DC 31 and by the temperature at DC 61. Grain weight per spike was reduced by drought stress similarly at all growth stages, but the results indicated the increasing sensitivity of this parameter to a temperature at the later growth stage. Although yield parameters only changed slightly with the length of heat and drought stress, the photosynthetic parameters were strongly affected, particularly by longer drought and the interactive effect of high temperature and drought stress. Higher temperature significantly increased the negative impact of drought on CO2 assimilation rate. Photosynthetic parameters were less affected by combined high temperatures and drought stress at DC 61 as compared to other growth stages investigated. The larger effect at the later growth stage (DC 75) can be attributed to induced senescence, among other factors, particularly in the Bohemia variety. The Tobak variety appears to be more tolerant to combined high temperatures and drought stress in terms of photosynthetic parameters. Based on the relationships between heat degree-days (HDD) and grain weight per spike we demonstrated the potential of HDD to integrate length and intensity of heat stress at different growth stages, particularly for estimation effects on yield parameters. It can be summarized that although the short-term combination of high temperatures and drought causes significant reductions in photosynthetic parameters, the impact on yield formation is much lower, indicating fast recovery of photosynthetic processes and compensation in yield formation parameters.